Amnesty International is calling for Israel to release hunger-striking Palestinian detainee Mohammed al-Qiq to the hospital of his choice.
This comes after the High Court rejected a petition for him to be transferred to a Ramallah hospital, offering an East Jerusalem hospital instead as a compromise. Al-Qiq, who has rejected food for nearly three months to protest his arrest under administrative detention and is hospitalized in Afula, turned down the offer.
Palestinians take part in a demonstration near Ramallah demanding the release of Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qiq (portrait) from an Israeli jail, January 22, 2016. (Abbas Momani/AFP)
“As an unconvicted detainee, al-Qiq has the right to treatment by doctors of his choice,” Amnesty says in a statement. “Given his critical health situation, the Israeli authorities must respect his wishes and transfer him to the hospital that he has chosen without delay.”
Israeli authorities say al-Qiq, a journalist based in Ramallah, is linked to terror groups, but have not charged him. Palestinian officials and others have described his medical condition as dire.
The Amnesty statement also calls for Israel to end the practice of administrative detention, which it equates with arbitrary jailing.
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