Khader Adnan

Khader Adnan
خضر عدنان
Born	Khader Adnan Mohammad Musa (1978-03-24) March 24, 1978
Nationality	Palestinian

Khader Adnan (also Khader Adnan Mohammad Musa) (born 24 March 1978) is a Palestinian detainee in Israel. Israeli authorities have not laid any formal charges against him, but say he was arrested for "for activities that threaten regional security."

In his hometown of Arraba, near Jenin, Adnan works as a baker, owns a produce store, and is pursuing a Masters degree in Economics. He was arrested on 17 December 2011 after midnight. The following day, to protest the conditions of his arrest, Israel's policy of administrative detention and its treatment of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, particularly prisoners, Adnan has been on the longest hunger strike in Palestinian history.

Media reports indicate that Adnan is or was affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the West Bank, and some say he holds or held a leadership position in the organization. The PIJ is designated a terrorist group by Israel, and Adnan has been convicted in the past by Israel for being a spokesperson for the group. It is not known if he was directly involved in attacks on Israelis. Though he has been detained several times since 1999, Israel has never laid any such charges against him. His wife says he holds no leadership role in the PIJ, is not involved in militant activities, and is a member of the Palestinian reconciliation committee.

Life

Adnan works as a baker and also owns a produce store in his home town of Arraba, near Jenin in the West Bank. He also has an undergraduate degree in mathematics. He married Randa Adnan, who is also referred to as Umm Abdel Rahman, in 2005. They have two daughters, Maali and Bissan, and Randa is pregnant with their third child.

Previous arrests and detentions

A student activist, Adnan was first arrested in 1999, and has been detained nine times since - eight times by Israel (including his current detention), and once by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). His wife says before they married he told her that,

"his life was not normal, that he might be around for 15 days and then be gone again for a long time. But I always dreamt of marrying someone strong, someone who struggles in defence of his country," she said. "When I married him I knew I should expect anything. I am proud of him whether he is under the ground or above it.

Five of Adnan's arrests took place before his marriage, for his political affiliation with the militant faction, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). He has been convicted in the past by Israel for being a spokesperson for the group. The PIJ is a small Palestinian militant organization, labelled a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel. Responsible for suicide bombings and paramilitary operations against civilian and military targets, their goal is the destruction of the state of Israel and its replacement with an Islamic state.}

According to the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera, Adnan is believed to be a leader of the PIJ in the West Bank, is considered a "prominent [Islamic] Jihad leader" according to Xinhua News Agency, a "senior leader of the Islamic Jihad organization" according to the Egyptian Bikya Masr, and a "senior Islamic Jihad official" according to Reuters. According to Al-Ahram, Adnan is a "leading figure in Islamic Jihad."

According to MSNBC, YNET, the Associated Press, the Xinhua News Agency, and the Bahrain Gulf Daily News Adnan served as a spokesman for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The Guardian and Agence France Press state he was a "one-time spokesman" for the PIJ in the past. In June 2005, after PIJ members were killed in a shootout with Israeli troops, Adnan "called on all Palestinian militant groups to resume fighting with Israel" and accused the governing entity the PNA of collaborating with Israel.

It is not known if Adnan was directly involved in attacks on Israelis; he has never been charged as such by Israel. His wife Randa denied Adnan had any leadership role in the PIJ, or any role in militant activities. She stated he was a member of the Palestinian reconciliation committee working to bridge the gaps between Hamas, Fatah, and other Palestinian factions.

Addameer, a Palestinian prisoners' support group, says Adnan held a 12-day hunger strike to protest his isolation in Kfar Yona in 2005. Al Jazeera English reports that Adnan went on hunger strike for twenty-eight days while in solitary confinement, until Israeli prison authorities returned him to the general prison population. Gideon Levy says the first time he undertook a hunger strike was in 2010, during his 12-day detention by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

2011 detention and hunger strike

At the time of his most recent arrest, Adnan was no longer an active spokesman for the PIJ. He was working as a baker while studying for a master's degree in economics at the Bir Zeit University. On 17 December 2011 Adnan was arrested by the Israeli Army after they raided his home in Arraba in the middle of the night. The next day he began a hunger strike that is still ongoing and already the longest in Palestinian history.

In a letter he gave to his lawyers for public release, Adnan explained why he was on hunger strike:

The Israeli occupation has gone to extremes against our people, especially prisoners. I have been humiliated, beaten, and harassed by interrogators for no reason, and thus I swore to God I would fight the policy of administrative detention to which I and hundreds of my fellow prisoners fell prey ... The only thing I can do is offer my soul to God, as I believe righteousness and justice will eventually triumph over tyranny and oppression. I hereby assert that I am confronting the occupiers not for my own sake as an individual, but for the sake of thousands of prisoners who are being deprived of their simplest human rights while the world and international community look on. It is time the international community and the UN support prisoners and force the State of Israel to respect international human rights and stop treating prisoners as if they were not humans.

He has officially been under administrative detention since 10 January 2012, a term set to last until 8 May at which point his detention could be renewed if the Israeli authorities deem it necessary. As of 31 December 2011, there were 307 Palestinians in administrative detention, including 21 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the parliament of the Palestinian Authority. Under the administrative detention procedure, the Israeli military can hold detainees for an indefinite period without charge or evidence if it deems them to be security threats. The decision to detain an individual is based on evidence presented to military judges, but not the defendant or his lawyers, and is subject to judicial review.

Adnan has not been formally charged with any crime; Israel states he was arrested "for activities that threaten regional security." Israel, together with the European Union, Canada, the United States and others, considers the PIJ, which has launched attacks against Israeli civilian and military targets, to be a terrorist group. An Israeli military court judge rejected his first appeal against detention in a session convened at the hospital in Safed where he is being held on 13 February 2012.

Adnan was interrogated for 18 days following his arrest; he told his lawyers that during this time Israeli soldiers made sexual innuendos about his wife, mocked Islam his religion, beat him, tied him to a chair in painful positions, ripped hair from his beard and wiped dirt on his face. Israeli authorities did not comment on these allegations. According to his wife and lawyers, Adnan's mistreatment continued and included lengthy periods of solitary confinement, multiple strip searches, and continuous abusive interrogation.

On 30 December, he was transferred to a hospital, but subsequently refused treatment from Israeli doctors. After meeting Adnan in the hospital, the organization Physicians for Human Rights - Israel, expressed "grave concern" and about his situation, which its doctors described as "critical." Since beginning his hunger strike, Adnan has gone from weighing 200 lbs to weighing 121 lbs.

Adnan's wife Randa Adnan stated that Adnan appeared emaciated and dirty and was shackled to his hospital bed. On 9 February, in response to criticism from human rights groups, the Israeli Prison Authority stated Adnan's case was being "strictly according to the law ... with special attention being given to his humanitarian situation." The prison service also stated that Adnan agreed to take potassium pills and does not want to die.

Randa Adnan has appealed to Egyptian authorities to help release her husband stating "Hope is now in Egypt to release Adnan. There's talk about Egyptian efforts to do so and I hope it's true. Egypt had an active role in the last prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel – it is our older sister and we hope it intervenes." The Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs has confirmed that Egypt was intervening with Israel to release Adnan.

Almost two months into his hunger strike, it was reported that Adnan agreed to having electrolytes, vitamins, glucose, and salts added to the water he is drinking. His doctors note that, "A fast in excess of 70 days does not permit survival. Infusion of liquids, adjustment of salts, and the addition of glucose and vitamin cannot prevent certain death due to such a protracted hunger strike."

On 16 February, Adnan's lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court of Israel to release him, citing that Adnan is in "immediate danger of death." However, a hearing has not been set up. Lawyer Mahmoud Kassandra stated "This is the last chance. The medical report says he could die at any minute. We hope this will succeed but I am not optimistic." Following a visit to Adnan by Rebecca Ziv from Physicians for Human Rights - Israel, she said of his situation:

He has lost 30kg and weighs 60kg. He suffers from stomach aches, vomiting, sometimes with blood, and headaches … His general condition is pale and very weak, his tongue is smooth, he has slight bleeding from the gums, dry skin, loss of hair, and significant muscular atrophy. His pulse is weak, blood pressure 100/75. He is permanently connected to a heart monitor.

Reactions

Adnan's hunger strike has drawn critical scrutiny of Israel's practice of administrative detention by a number of human rights groups, international bodies and Palestinian leaders and protesters. He has garnered a large following on Facebook and Twitter. Several of Adnan's supporters argue his case has not received proper coverage in the international and Israeli media.

Demonstrations and solidarity strikes

Demonstration in support of Adnan in Ni'lin on 17 February 2012. There have been several demonstrations supporting Adnan's hunger strike throughout the West Bank.

Some Palestinians have protested in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in support of Adnan. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners have joined Adnan's hunger strike in solidarity. Adnan's father Musa Adnan started an open-ended hunger strike on 6 February, telling Ma'an News Agency it would "enable him to support his son and understand his pain." His hometown of Arraba has been a center of demonstrations, with solidarity protesters camping outside his house which Palestinian and foreign officials have been visiting to inquire about Adnan's health conditions. Around 50-60 Palestinian protested outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to show solidarity with Adnan on 8 February.

On 11 February hundreds of Palestinians staged a demonstration at the Ofer Prison where Adnan was being held. The Israeli Army dispersed the protesters using rubber bullets and tear gas, injuring 16. At a separate demonstration in Beit Ummar near Hebron two Israelis and two Palestinians were arrested by Israel. Dozens of students from Birzeit University that gathered outside Ofer Prison on 13 February demanding Adnan's release were dispersed by Israeli security forces resulting in the injury of 23 people. On 15 February, supporters began an open hunger strike at a sit-in in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City.

On 16 February, the 61st day of Adnan's hunger strike, thousands of demonstrators protested throughout the Palestinian territories. About 1,000 mostly young Palestinians protested outside of Ofer Prison before being dispersed and in Hebron, hundreds of supporters held a sit-in holding posters reading "No to administrative arbitrary detention." That same day, Palestinians observed a 10-hour hunger strike in solidarity.

Around 5,000 protesters demonstrated in Gaza City on 17 February chanting "We are all Khader Adnan," with the PIJ, Hamas and Fatah factions all participating. In Jenin, meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians partook in a solidarity protest.

Protests in solidarity with Adnan were also held in the United States, particularly in New York, Chicago and Washington D.C.

Human rights groups

Addameer, a Palestinian prisoners' support group expressed "utmost concern about the health" of Adnan, holding Israel accountable for his life. The head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society Qadura Fares condemned the Israeli court's refusal of Adnan's appeal..

Human Rights Watch stated Israel must "immediately end its unlawful administrative detention" of Adnan and "charge or release him." Spokeswoman Sarah Leah Whitson said "Israel should end, today, before it's too late, its almost two-month-long refusal to inform Adnan of any criminal charge or evidence against him." Amnesty International condemned Israel's policy of administrative detention, and the Israeli human rights group B'tselem sent an urgent request to Israeli Minister of Intelligence, Dan Meridor, to either immediately release or try Adnan to "prevent a needless tragedy to him and his family."

Richard Falk, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights, criticized "authority figures, from the UN Secretary General on down," who he said expressed empathy for Gilad Shalit, while being "notably silent in the much more compelling ordeal being experienced before our eyes in the form of Mr Adnan's captivity, seemingly unto death." .

Politicans

The Palestinian National Authority condemned his arrest and demanded his immediate release. In response to Israel's refusal of Adnan's appeal, Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Qaraqe stated the decision showed "utter disregard for Adnan's life, effectively condemning him to die." He praised Adnan for "taking a stand" against the use of administrative detention. At a rally on 16 February, Qaraqe said, "Khader Adnan has become a national symbol, an Arab symbol and an international symbol for his defence of the dignity of free men throughout the entire world."

Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouti, who was injured after being shot in the foot with a rubber bullet by Israeli security forces during a solidarity protest, called for an international campaign demanding Adnan's release. Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders Sheikh Nafez Azzam, Dawood Shihab, Khader Habib and Ahmad Mudallal participated in the open hunger strike that began on 15 February saying it was the "least we can do for this legendary symbol."

At a Friday sermon at the Great Mosque of Gaza, PIJ leader Nafez Azzam stated Adnan was "not fighting for a personal cause, but for the defence of thousands of prisoners." Furthermore, he accused Arab and Western countries of ignoring Adnan's case saying "Shame on the nations of hundreds of millions (of Muslims) for the fact that Khader Adnan is still in prison." Gaza-based Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, declared at a rally in Gaza that same day that, "The Palestinian people, with all its components and its factions, will never abandon the hero prisoners, especially those who lead this hunger strike battle."

On 18 February, it was reported that in meetings with officials from China, Russia, the United Kingdom and the European Union, President Mahmoud Abbas and PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat pressed for Adnan's release.

United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process Robert Serry instructed Israel "to do everything in its power to preserve the health of the prisoner and resolve this case while abiding by all legal obligations under international law." On 18 February, European Union head Catherine Ashton called on Israel to preserve Adnan's health and reiterated the EU's concern over "the extensive use by Israel of administrative detention without formal charge."

See also

• Bobby Sands, of the 1981 Irish hunger strike
• Maikel Nabil Sanad

External links

• Khader Adnan’s Life in Grave Danger as He Continues His Struggle Against Israel’s Human Rights Violations
• According to a Medical Opinion Issued by PHR - Israel Doctor: Adnan's Life is in Immediate Danger