Arab League calls for action to free hunger striking Palestinian journalist

The Arab League yesterday demanded human rights and international humanitarian organisations take immediate action to release captive journalist Muhammad Al-Qeeq who has been on hunger strike from 24 November.

Abu Ali, assistant secretary-general for Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories, said: “The Israeli arbitrary administrative detention against captive Al-Qeeq must come to an end,” adding that Al-Qeeq is an “opinion and freedom of expression prisoner and he has not been accused of any specific charges other than being a journalist who was doing his professional work in covering the events and Israeli violations against the Palestinian people.”

“There are more than 20 prisoners languishing in Israel’s Ramla Hospital, most of whom are injured, disabled and suffering from severe pain and medical negligence as they are not receiving any of the necessary treatment,” he said.

He noted that Israel’s continued violations and inhuman practices against Palestinian prisoners “confirm its anti-peace process position, and that it disregards the most basic human rights and the resolutions of international humanitarian law.”

“The number of Palestinian prisoners has risen to 7,000, including a number of children who are captured across 23 prisons, camps and detention centres inside Israel,” noting that they are subjected to “individual and collective punishment.”

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