Deliberate medical neglect kills Palestinian in Israeli jails

Khamis, 7 Februari 2019 2:38:37 PG

A Palestinian detainee died on Wednesday evening in Israeli jails after his health seriously worsened due to deliberate medical neglect by the Israel Prison Service.

The Prisoners Media Office said that Fares Baroud, 51, was the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner from the Gaza Strip in Israeli jails.

The Israeli occupation authorities on Tuesday transferred Baroud to the intensive care unit at the hospital of Raymond jail after he suffered serious health complications.

A resident of al-Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Baroud was arrested in 1991 and sentenced to life imprisonment and 35 years on charges of killing an Israeli settler.

He had not been able to see any of his family members in the last 18 years based on an order by the Israel Prison Service.

Baroud was supposed to be freed along with 30 long-serving Palestinian prisoners who Israel had vowed to release as part of attempts to revive negotiations with the Palestinian Authority in late 2013.

However, Israel backtracked on the move and suspended the release for "political reasons".

A year ago, Baroud's mother, who lost her sight before she could see her son after over 18 years of absence, died.

The Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission said that the Israel Pirson Service had pursued a deliberate medical neglect policy against Baroud who was suffering from serious health problems.

The commission held the Israel Prison Service at Raymond jail and the Israeli government responsible for the crime, after which the number of Palestinian detainees who died while in Israeli custody jumped to 209.

Source: Palestinian Information Center