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Jordan asks Israel to release body of Palestinian prisoner who died in prison

November 28, 2019 at 10:10 am

Palestinian political prisoner Sami Abu Diak, 19 November 2019 [Twitter]

The Jordanian authorities have asked Israel to release the body of Palestinian prisoner Sami Abu Diak, 37, who died in prison on Tuesday after three years of battling cancer and alleged medical negligence, Quds Press reported on Wednesday.

The Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv apparently filed an application for the Israeli authorities to hand over Abu Diak’s body to his family in Jordan for burial. Israeli radio reports also said that the embassy asked for more details about the circumstances of Abu Dayyak’s death.

Abu Diak died after suffering from intestinal cancer for three years. He was arrested by Israel in 2002 and sentenced to three life terms plus 30 years. Several operations in prison resulted in kidney and lung failure, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Commission explained.

According to human rights groups, there are around 5,700 Palestinians prisoners being held by Israel, including 230 children, 48 women, 500 under administrative detention with neither charge nor trial, and 700 suffering from serious illnesses.

Since the start of this year, five prisoners have died behind bars in Israel. Abu Diak’s death raised the total number of Palestinian prisoners who have died in Israeli jails since 1967 to 222.

READ: Palestinians hold Israel responsible for cancer patient’s death