CAIRO: Scores of Palestinians celebrated the news of the pending release Khader Adnan in April after 66 days of hunger strike in Israeli prison. Young men gave away candies and sweets and people threw rice, according to Palestinian customs in celebration of his release. Adnan, 33, who is now considered an icon in the struggle for freedom, not only inside the occupied territories of Palestine, but around the world. The Israeli High Court ruled on Tuesday to release Adnan after his case caught the interest of the world and set April 16 as the date for his release. Adnan, who was arrested last December went on a hunger strike because he refused the treatment he received from the Israeli investigators who allegedly insulted him and his family, which Adnan refused completely, announcing he is not talking or eating until he is released. Adnan was under what is known as administrative detention, in which the detainee is held for 6 months, renewable, under no reason and the detainee's lawyer has no right to see the investigation files, which the Israelis claim to hold “secret information.” The illegal practice is inherited from the British Mandate and it has spread widely in Israel towards Palestinians who could be put behind bars for years without proper reasoning and without legal representation. The Palestinian ministry for the Captive Affairs said 280 people are behind bars on this administrative detention. Gawad Boules, Adnan's lawyer, said that despite the end of the hunger strike on Tuesday night after the court's decision, Israel is still responsible for the deterioration of his health, as medical reports said his body has reached a dire state and he could suffer a sudden death due to the harm his organs received during the strike. The lawyer added that Adnan's strike confused the Israeli security and judiciary institutions after they did not take his decision seriously. Palestinian officials had said that Adnan set a record in the Palestinian struggle for the longest hunger strike in the cause's history and added that “he is a symbol for many young people of strength and honor.” Boules added that during his strike, Adnan refused many offers to suspend his strike and insisted in continuing the strike against the “illegal and inhuman practices of Israel.” Boules, who gave a speech outside Adnan's home, reportedly based on his request, said that Adnan still needs medical attention and special care to get him back to proper health and that rights organizations in Palestine will follow his status closely until he is free. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/lCZtc Tags: featured, Israel, Khader Adnan, Prisoner, Release Section: Editor's choice, Human Rights, Latest News, Palestine
