Israel authorizes the force-feeding of prisoners on hunger strike
According to the Supreme Court the norm is "legal in terms of Israeli law and international law". Saving a life is "a priority" and the state is "in charge" of prisoners. Criticism of the Medical Association, which has raised the appeal: "Force-feeding is tantamount to torture." Out of 7 thousand Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, 700 in administrative detention.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Israeli Supreme Court has upheld the validity of a law that allows the force-feeding of prisoners on hunger strike, in case this extreme form of protest endangers their lives. The ruling came yesterday after months of controversy and debate about a controversial measure that, according to activists and NGOs, blatantly violates human rights.
Speaking to an appeal by the Israeli doctors, the court pointed out that the rule of law – of July 2015 - is "legal in terms of Israeli law and international law". Save a life, in addition to the judges, "it remains a priority and the state is responsible for the lives of its prisoners".
According to the promoters, this law aims to limit the number of inmates who begin this form of protest. It is common practice, especially among the Palestinians. But according to Israel, most of the time it becomes a form of blackmail rather than a protest.
The case was raised by doctors who complained of being involvement in a "political" issue. Speaking to Haaretz, the president of the medical association Leonid Eidelman said that "force-feeding is tantamount to torture" and "no doctor should be subject to a similar practice."
For parliamentary Tamar Zandberg the norm is "cruel, immoral and unethical."
In the past several Palestinian prisoners have gone on hunger strike after being subjected by Israel to administrative detention, which allows you to lock up a suspect for long periods - renewable every six months - even without charges.
This measure, once applied only to Palestinian militants, now also applies to the Israelis although critics are skeptical about implementing rules.
Among the most famous cases is that of 32 year-old Allan Mohammed, arrested in November 2014 on charges of belonging to the extremist group Islamic Jihad; claiming his innocence, the man refused to eat, and his condition quickly deteriorated.
Current data indicates that out of about 7 thousand Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, 700 are placed in administrative detention. Sources of the UN Department for Human Rights stress that "it is the highest number since 2008". The United Nations and several organizations regularly appeal to Israel to peel back this measure seen as a legacy of British rule over Palestine.
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27/11/2020 10:45
