Hunger-striker on Brink of Death as Health Deteriorates

Local Editor

A Palestinian official said Friday that the detained Palestinian hunger-striker Mohammad al-Qiq is suffering a major health setback.

A lawyer for the Palestinian Authority Committee of Prisoners' Affairs, Hiba Masalha, who has been visiting al-Qiq in the HaEmek hospital, said the Palestinian journalist's condition was worsening with every passing moment.

Al-Qiq, on hunger strike for nearly 80 days, "entered a very dangerous stage," she noted.

"He is on the brink of death, and we might hear news of his martyrdom at any moment, especially due to fears that he might suffer from a stroke," Masalha added.

The 33-year-old journalist and father of two, began his hunger strike in November to protest his administrative detention by the "Israeli" forces without trial or charge.

In further details, Masalha stressed that al-Qiq was suffering from acute chest and heart pains, fever, severe pain in the knees and extremities and recurrent muscle spasms.

Al-Qiq previously lost his ability to speak, and his vision and hearing have also been severely affected.

Relatively, the Palestinian Prisoner's Society on Wednesday said "Israel" was "not showing attention or willingness" to solve al-Qiq's case and held the Zionist authorities "completely responsible" for his life.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team