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Palestinian hunger striker emerges from coma

August 18, 2015

The Palestinian man, on hunger strike for more than two months, has emerged from a coma. The 31-year-old man has been protesting his incarceration in Israel for more than 10 months without charge or trial.

https://p.dw.com/p/1GHGi
Israel - Demonstration für Muhammad Allan
Image: Getty Images/I. Yefimovich

Palestinian detainee Mohammed Allan emerged from a coma Tuesday after four days of unconsiousness after refusing food for more than two months.

Since he lost consciousness Friday, doctors have used artificial respirators, fluids and vitamins to keep him alive.

Allan has been on hunger strike to protest Israel's use of "administrative detention" – a controversial mechanism in which it jails suspected militants without charge or trial for six-month intervals and can be extended indefinitely without judicial review.

Earlier, Israel had offered to release Allan – a lawyer from the West Bank town of Nablus – if he agrees to go abroad for at least four years. Israel accuses the lawyer of being an active member of Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group.

Allan has rejected the offer and demands to be released immediately.

Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, writing on Twitter, called the petition for his release "ludicrous," as Allan's medical condition is self-inflicted.

But Israel has recently caved to pressure and released jailed Palestinians following extended hunger strikes.

Threatens to reject food and water

Activists following his case say Allan came out of the coma and remained defiant Tuesday and, "declared in front of his doctors that if there is not any solution to his case within 24 hours he will ask for all treatment to stop and will stop drinking water," the Palestinian Prisoners Club said in a statement.

Allan's lawyer says his client's condition is grave and doctors have warned him that an extended hunger strike would probably mean death.

"It was explained to him that his decision could mean death," his attorney Jawad Bolous, told news portal Ynet, the dpa news agency reported.

Hunger strikers put pressure on Israel

Maazouzeh Allan, mother of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Allan, takes part in a protest against the force-feeding her son, outside Soroka hospital in Beersheba, Israel.
Allan's mother takes part in a protest against the force-feeding her son, outside Soroka hospital in Beersheba, IsraelImage: Reuters/A. Cohen

Israel passed a law last month allowing it to force-feed hunger striking inmates if a life is in danger.

But medical groups and activists oppose the law, arguing it amounts to torture and robs Palestinians of a legitimate form of protest.

After hearing arguments on whether to release Allan, the High Court set another hearing for Wednesday.

Allan's lawyers have argued his emaciated condition refutes the authorities' stance that he poses a security threat.

jar/kms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)