Israel buckles so Khader Adnan ends his hunger strike

Good news from Ha'aretz:

Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan announced Tuesday that he will be ending his 66-day hunger strike after Israel agreed to release him.

The Islamic Jihad operative, who has been fighting a provision that allows Israel to hold detainees for months or even years without trial or formal charges, reached an agreement with the state prosecution less than an hour before his case was discussed at the Supreme Court.....

Adnan continued his hunger strike longer than any Palestinian detainee before him. His doctors warned this week that the 33-year-old might die soon.

The hunger strike has transformed Adnan into a Palestinian hero, with thousands protesting in support of the once obscure bearded baker. The Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad had vowed revenge if Adnan died, possibly by firing rockets into Israel from Gaza. The group has killed dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings and other attacks. Adnan was once a spokesman for the group. It's unclear if he ever participated in any attacks.

But hey, put him in prison anyway.

Khader Adnan and "administrative detention"

Here's a post from Independent Jewish Voices on Khader Adnan:

IJV Supports all efforts to bring an end to Khader Adnan’s detention without trial

Posted on February 21, 2012 by IJV

Khader Adnan has been on hunger strike since 18 December 2011 in protest against his detention without trial by Israeli authorities. There are reports that he was interrogated under torture.

Adnan is being held under so-called administrative detention, a procedure where detainees are held without charge or trial for a period of up to six months. Administrative detention can be indefinitely renewed, and as such is a violation of detainees’ right to fair trial as assured by article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by Israel in 1991.

IJV supports all efforts to end the detention without trial of Khader Adnan and has signed a petition with Amnesty International, as well as the petition with SignOn.org, which is to be delivered to the International Red Cross.

We urge anyone who wants to sign these petitions, and hasn’t so far, to do so by following either of the two links below.

Amnesty International petition

SignOn.org petition

To read more about Khader Adnan’s detention:

Click here for Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.

Click here for Physicians for Human Rights -Israel’s press release on Kader Adnan