Israel 'must end ill-treatment' of imprisoned Palestinian journalist

The Israeli authorities must immediately cease all non-consensual medical treatment and other punitive measures against Palestinian journalist Mohammad al-Qiq, who has been held without charge or trial for two months and on hunger strike since 25 November, rights group Amnesty International has said.

The authorities have undertaken a number of measures aimed at pressuring him to end the hunger strike, some of which violate the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment.

Mohammad al-Qiq's wife said his family fear for his life.

"Mohammed has forcibly received intravenous drugs which we fear we prelude being force fed…but today we are talking about the loss of prisoner’s lives inside Israeli jails," Mohammed's wife Shalash told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

The family appealed to Ban Ki-Moo, secretary general of the UN, to pressure Israel.

Originally from the West Bank city of Hebron, al-Qiq, 32, lived in Ramallah, where he worked for al-Majd TV, a popular Arabic language satellite channel.

He was arrested by Israeli security forces at his home in November last year before being sentenced to six months administrative detention without charge. 

Israel is holding approximately 6,800 Palestinian political prisoners.

The journalist started a hunger strike sixty days ago to protest against the injustice of his arrest.

"We communicate with all institutions regarding political and human rights to support and initiate campaigns that seek to fulfil the demands of prisoners who are on strike, and expose the violations of the occupation," a representative of the supreme body of Palestinian Affairs told The New Arab.

"Life is hard for our family. My father is ill and he has had open heart surgery. He keeps saying that the arrest of Mohammed broke him," Hammam al-Qiq, Mohammed’s brother, told Anadolu Agency.