Palestinian Political Prisoner Ends 94-Day Hunger Strike for Justice

by Stephen Lendman

Medical science can't explain how Muhammad al-Qiq survived over three months without food, ingesting only water.

Refusing vital to life sustenance took a terrible toll on his body, perhaps preventing recovery at most to no more than a shell of his former self.

Reports indicate his lawyers struck an 11th hour deal. Palestinian Prisoners Society head Qadura Fares called it a "compromise." Al-Qiq suspended his hunger strike.

Israel won't renew his six-month administrative detention. It expires on May 21, dating from his arrest, not December 17 sentencing.

Family visitations will be allowed. He'll remain hospitalized in Israel, his request through his attorneys for transfer to Ramallah for Palestinian medical staff treatment denied.

He refused medical care throughout his ordeal. He's now accepting it in Israel's HaEmek Medical Center.

He hunger struck for justice denied him. Israel lawlessly detained him uncharged and untried. He committed no crimes, incarcerated and brutally treated solely for his responsible journalism, reporting what Israel wants suppressed - the truth about its occupation harshness.

Higher Arab Monitoring Committee head, Mohammed Barakeh, said his "historic three-month hunger strike ended in victory" - hopefully not a pyrrhic one if physical deterioration exceeded what's possible to reverse.

Longterm lack of sustenance took him close to death - whether able to come back from its brink remains unknown.

He displayed remarkable fortitude throughout his ordeal - enduring appalling physical abuse and mistreatment amounting to torture. 

Around 700 other Palestinians are administratively detained, solely for political reasons, including dozens of children, languishing under hellish gulag conditions, intended to break bodies, minds and spirits.

Brutalized Palestinian prisoners endure more than most people can imagine - victimized for wanting fundamental rights they're denied.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.