Physicians for Human Rights denounces proposed force-feeding law

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) urges the Knesset to reject a proposed bill that would legalize the force-feeding of hunger-striking prisoners, which would violate medical ethics and international law, the NGO says in a statement.

“Israel’s force-feeding bill contravenes established medical ethics, which unequivocally prohibit force-feeding as a form of inhuman and degrading treatment,” says Sarah Dougherty, PHR’s senior anti-torture fellow.

“Medical professionals should never be used as instruments to inflict harmful and coercive measures on detainees and to violate their human rights. We join our colleagues around the world in urging the Israeli government to immediately reject this bill,” she continues.

The Knesset will vote on the proposed changes to Israel’s Prisons Act in two weeks, at which point they could be fast-tracked into law. This amendment would permit the force-feeding of a hunger-striking prisoner when the head of the Israel Prison Service receives permission from a district court, following a doctor’s certification that the prisoner’s health is in serious danger.

The court’s ability to consider non-medical factors — such as prison order and state security — and to use classified evidence in determination on force-feeding, was further cause for concern, adds PHR.

“Hunger-striking is often the only means detainees have available to protest unlawful detention and inhumane conditions,” continues Dougherty. “People have a right to make their own decisions about their health and to refuse unwanted treatment, and medical personnel must respect this fundamental principle.”