Palestine hunger striker Bilal Kayed’s High Court challenge on Monday postponed to Thursday

MONDAY’S Jerusalem High Court challenge to the internment (“administrative detention”) of Palestinian hunger striker Bilal Kayed has been postponed till Thursday, Addameer, the Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association based in Ramallah in Occupied Palestine, has told Sinn Féin Assembly member Fra McCann and Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan in an email.

Fra and Paul were part of an international parliamentary delegation that visited Palestine last week.

Bilal Kayed is on his 69th day of hunger strike.

● Sinn Féin’s Fra McCann and Paul Gavan visiting Addameer Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association last week

Extending to the two Sinn Féin elected represenatives a “big thank you for your visit to Addameer”, the email notes that the hearing was attended by members of the Israeli Knesset, including Dr Ahmad Al-Tibi, Dr Yousef Jabareen, Advocate Osama Saadi, as well as representatives from the European Union, diplomatic missions, local and international media, and Israeli and Palestinian activists against administrative detention.

It explains what happened in Monday’s hearing:

“The defence team of Mr Kayed addressed his placement into administrative detention after having spent 14.5 years in prison, which constitutes arbitrary detention that may amount to psychological torture.

“Additionally, the court did not investigate the credibility of the secret information provided to them by the police and [Israeli] Intelligence.

“Mr Kayed was not informed of his administrative detention order until 13 June 2016, the day of his scheduled release. The defence team also addressed his current health condition, which has been deteriorating since he embarked on hunger strike.

“The Israeli Intelligence discussed the nature of the secret information inside a closed hearing session (where only the Intelligence, the judge, and the prosecution were allowed to attend).

“During the hearing, Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHR-I) also discussed the an appeal regarding the shackling of Mr Kayed’s hands and feet and the request for visitation by an external medical expert.

“The hearing has been postponed for Thursday, 25 August 2016. The court requested further clarification regarding the reasons for Mr Kayed’s administrative detention from the Intelligence.

“The court also requested a recent medical report addressing Mr Kayed’s current health condition.

“In a visit to Barzilai medical centre yesterday (21 August 2016) by Addameer attorney Farah Bayadsi, Mr Kayed stated that he still refuses to undertake medical examinations and is only consuming water and salt.

“Mr Kayed was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit on Friday (19 August 2016) due to his refusal to take any vitamins or food supplements, particularly sugar and Vitamin B1.

“Mr Kayed suffers from blurred vision, difficulty breathing, difficulty in movement, severe pain in the chest, lower back, jaw, and kidney area pain. Mr Kayed also suffers from difficulty sleeping, drowsiness, and fatigue.

“Despite his critical health condition, Mr Kayed stated to attorney Bayadsi that he will continue his hunger strike until his release.”

The email ends with the reminder that, in its concluding observations on Israel on 13 May 2016, the United Nations Committee Against Torture called on the Israeli Government to:

“Take the measures necessary to end the practice of administrative detention and ensure that all persons who are currently held in administrative detention are afforded all basic legal safeguards.”