Muhammad Allan, a Palestinian hunger-striker who was released from administrative detention last month after refusing food for over 60 days, was rearrested Wednesday after having been discharged from Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. The High Court of Justice ordered the release of Allan from his administrative detention in late August due to his deteriorating medical condition, including the revelation that his brain had been damaged. However, his medical condition had forced him to remain in the hospital. On Wednesday, after he finally was discharged from Barzilai, he was rearrested on administrative detention. Police did not immediately give an explanation for the move. Allan, 31, had been on a hunger strike following his detention by security forces in protest of the fact the he was held despite never being formally charged with a crime. Ahead of the court's ruling, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan wrote on Twitter that "it's absurd to petition demanding to release a person because of his health condition, which was self-inflicted." Releasing Allan would set a dangerous precedent, and create a new tool for security prisoners to use in their protests against Israel and to secure concessions, Erdan said. "If Allan is released, it will lead to a mass hunger strike among security prisoners and would be a new weapon in the hands of terrorists," he said. Before the hearing, the state offered to release the prisoner in early November if he agreed to end his life-threatening protest. Administrative detention is controversial, because it bypasses standard judicial proceedings in favor of streamlining with fewer procedural safeguards. Israel says it is often necessary in circumstances dealing with terrorists, where the evidence against them cannot be revealed in open court.
