Palestinian hunger striker for 172 days sentenced to 16 months in prison despite a promise for his release

An Israeli court today sentenced Khalil Awawdeh, from the southern West Bank town of Idna, to 16 months in prison despite an earlier promise to release him after observing 172 days of hunger strike to demand his release from administrative detention, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS). It said Awawdeh’s attorney, Khaled Zabarqa, informed PPS that the court sentenced his client to 16 months in prison, a 5000 Israeli shekels ($1400) fine, and an eight-month suspended sentence after it accused him of taking a mobile phone with him into prison when he was on hunger strike. Awawdeh was supposed to be released on October 2 of last year at the end of his administrative detention order after observing 172 days of hunger strike in protest against his detention for extended periods without charge or trial. Awawdeh ended his hunger strike after he was promised that his administrative detention will not be renewed and that he will be released after serving the time of the detention. However, days before his intended release, he was charged with ‘smuggling’ a mobile phone he had with him when he was at an Israeli hospital getting treatment for his failed health as a result of the long fast into Ramla prison where he was taken after his discharge from hospital. The father of four has been in jail since 27 December 2021 and has been placed in administrative detention, without charge or trial, ever since.

Source: Palestine News & Information Agency