Red Cross visits Barghouthi in solitary

A delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) yesterday visited Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi in his solitary confinement cell in the Gilboa prison, near Nazareth in northern Israel.

Barghouthi’s wife, Fadwa Barghouthi, said in a statement that the ICRC was able to visit her husband on Thursday – 25 days into the hunger strike – noting that lawyers have been banned from visiting him since the strike began.

“I wish I had any news to assure you on his condition,” Fadwa said, highlighting that the ICRC only told her and her family that they visited her husband, and that “he sends his regards to her and the family,” without providing any more details regarding his health or whether he is able to move or not.

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Barghouthi has been leading the strike among Palestinian prisoners, who are demanding Israel Prison Service allow them family visits, the right to pursue higher education, appropriate medical care and treatment, and bring an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention – imprisonment without charge or trial.

The Fatah leader has been in solitary confinement since the start of the strike.

#SolidarityHungerStrike

Yesterday, Palestinian rights groups sent a joint letter to Israeli authorities demanding that a criminal investigation be opened against Israeli officials who published footage of Barghouthi purportedly eating in his cell earlier this week.

The aim of the video is to humiliate Marwan Barghouthi and distort his image in front of the public. The prison service has no jurisdiction to monitor prisoners by installing cameras in their cells – except when necessary to maintain the safety of prisoners when they are in danger. But not to take footage of them and release it to the media.

On Wednesday, the Palestine Prisoners’ Centre for Studies said it was told by Palestinian prisoners in Negev prisons that several hunger strikers were shown pictures of Barghouthi eating during their court proceedings.

According to the centre, the prisoners were told by Israeli Shin Bet officers: “Marwan lets you starve while he eats.”