Bethlehem: The Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society mourned on Monday the released Palestinian prisoner and educator Khaled Al-Saifi, 67, from Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, who died just one week after his release from Israeli occupation prisons.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Al-Saifi was released in critical health condition due to his treatment during his most recent detention, which lasted four months under arbitrary administrative detention. The prison authorities had administered an injection they claimed was for influenza, which caused him severe inflammation, followed by another injection that necessitated his transfer to the Ramleh Prison Clinic.
The Commission and the Prisoner's Society stated that Al-Saifi's case exemplifies Israel's policy of 'slow execution' against prisoners. They emphasized that his release was only granted after authorities were certain of the severity of his health condition. Al-Saifi, known for his role as founder and director of the Ibda'a Cultural Center, was a significant cultural, social, and political figure in Dheisheh camp and a frequent target of the occupation.
The statement highlighted that Al-Saifi faced administrative detention without charges or trial twice since the start of the war, despite his age and declining health, pointing to Israel's intent to physically eliminate him. He had been repeatedly detained since the 1980s and was part of the larger group of former prisoners who have been held under the administrative detention policy, which has seen a significant rise since the onset of the Israeli genocide. Currently, Israel detains more than 3,380 individuals, including children and women, without charges or trial, facilitated by military courts.
The institutions underscored that the suffering of detainees extends beyond their release, with many enduring severe health and psychological issues, complex surgeries, chronic illnesses, and trauma from torture and abuse. They held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for Al-Saifi's death, asserting that it was a result of premeditated actions. The statement also noted that more than 100 prisoners have died since the war began, with 87 identities announced, while others remain victims of enforced disappearance amidst ongoing Israeli policies and legislation promoting prisoner execution.
