Minister: PA to sue Israel over prisoner death

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BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) --

The Palestinian Authority will sue Israel for the prison death of Arafat Jaradat, the minister of detainee affairs said Wednesday.

"We are preparing ourselves to sue Israel and we will go to international courts," Issa Qaraqe told Ma'an.

Jaradat, 30, died in Israel's Megiddo prison on Saturday, a week after he was arrested and accused of throwing stones.

An autopsy showed the father of two died from extreme torture, Qaraqe said Sunday. The PA's chief pathologist was present at the autopsy, which was conducted in Israel.

Israel says the autopsy was inconclusive.

in full: http://maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=569652

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1. Death of Palestinian in Israeli jail not due to abuse or poisoning, autopsy finds

Health Ministry still unsure what caused the death of Arafat Jaradat, whose death has sparked unrest in the West Bank; final results of autopsy will only be released in a few weeks.

By Dan Eve and Jack Khoury | Feb.28, 2013 | 6:54 PM |

There is no evidence that Arafat Jaradat, the Palestinian prisoner who died in Megiddo Prison on Saturday, was either poisoned or physically abused, Israel's Health Ministry said Thursday after examining new findings from the autopsy.

The ministry said the microscopic findings, which were collected when the autopsy was performed on Sunday but came back only Thursday morning, completely rule out the claim that Jaradat was poisoned.

Nevertheless, it’s still not possible to determine what did cause Jaradat’s death, officials at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir said. Additional samples taken from his body during the autopsy are still being tested, and the final results are not expected back for another two weeks or so.

The ministry said the findings of the autopsy to date, including the bruises and the broken ribs, were “characteristic findings of a resuscitation, which the medical crew from the Israel Prison Service and Magen David Adom engaged in for 50 minutes in an effort to save his life.”

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/death-of-palestinian-in-israeli-jail-not-due-to-abuse-or-poisoning-autopsy-finds-1.506486#

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2. The political prisoners of Palestine

Why this is important

Samer Issawi has been detained by Israeli occupation authorities without any charge whatsoever. He had been released from prison in October 2011 as a part of the Shalit prisoner swap. But was detained again without charge on 7 July 2012 and has been refusing food since August 2012 to protest his detention. He is in a critical condition; losing his vision, vomiting blood and lapsing in and out of consciousness.

Ayman Sharawna has also been arrested and detained without charge and has been on hunger strike since July 2012. Ayman is suffering kidney failure, loss of vision in his left eye, back pains and cannot feel his right leg. Israel has denied Ayman medication until he stops his hunger strike, which he will not do unless justice is met.

Jafar Azzidine & Tarek Qa’adan are also being held without charge and have been on an open hunger strike since November 2012.

There are numerous cases of Palestinian political prisoners being held without charge. In many cases the prisoners are taken into Israeli territory; this is a key fundamental point that breaches the fourth Geneva Convention.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/The_political_prisoners_of_Palestine/