A Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails has lost his life after being inoculated with a coronavirus vaccine. Rights groups accused Israeli prison authorities that he died because of medical negligence.
In Wednesday’s announcement, two Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups identified the victim as Maher Deed Saasa from the northern occupied West Bank town of Qalqilya.
The Prisoners Commission and the Prisoners Society added that Saasa, the 45-year-old father of six, had been in prison since 2006 and was serving a 25-year sentence.
The advocacy groups blamed the Israeli regime for Saasa’s death and said the Palestinian prisoner, who had received a coronavirus vaccine a day earlier, was suffering from several chronic illnesses as a result of unhealthy conditions in Israeli prisons.
Saasa’s case is being followed up to track down the cause and suspected perpetrators of his death, the two groups said.
A large number of Palestinian prisoners have been infected with the corona virus in recent months due to the negligence of Israeli authorities. The number of cases has reportedly reached more than 230 people.
The United Nations has already called for the protection of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and detention centers amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
There are currently over 7,000 Palestinian prisoners in 17 Israeli jails, dozens of whom are serving life sentences.
Over 350 detainees, including women and minors, are in Israeli administrative detention.
Administrative detention, which is a form of detention without trial or charge, allows authorities to imprison Palestinians for up to six months. This period can be extended indefinitely.
by Basit Abbasi – CCTV