Good news!



URGENT ACTION
PALESTINIAN DETAINEE FREED
Palestinian administrative detainee Khader Adnan was released on 17 April. He spent four months in detention without charge or trial. For 66 days of this period, he was on hunger strike in protest at his ill-treatment and administrative detention. He is now back with his family in the occupied West Bank. 
 

On 17 April, Khader Adnan was released from detention in Ramleh prison hospital in central Israel. He was taken to Salem military checkpoint, in the north of the occupied West Bank, where his family was waiting to receive him. He returned to his family home in the village of Arrabe in the West Bank, where he was welcomed by hundreds of Palestinians celebrating his release. Khader Adnan’s release coincided with the day when Palestinians traditionally commemorate all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees held by Israel.

Khader Adnan began an open-ended hunger strike on 17 December 2011 in protest at his ill-treatment and administrative detention by the Israeli authorities. As his health deteriorated, he was moved first to the hospital of Ramleh prison, where he was detained, and then to medical facilities outside prison, including Ziv hospital in northern Israel, from 6 February. He ended his strike on 21 February after an agreement was reached between his lawyer and the state prosecution that he would end his hunger strike in return for a pledge from the Israeli authorities that his detention order would not be extended beyond 17 April. He was subsequently returned to Ramleh prison hospital after his health had stabilized and he remained there until his release on 17 April 2012.

Amnesty International does not have medical information about his current condition, but videos of Khader Adnan upon his release appear to show him in good health. In the videos Khader Adnan is shown speaking to crowds of Palestinians, thanking them and activists from around the world for the support they gave him while he was in detention, and asking that they continue their solidarity with the other Palestinian hunger strikers protesting against administrative detention.  

We will continue to campaign against the use of administrative detention by the Israeli authorities. Thank you to all those who took action. No further appeals are required from the UA network.

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