دولة فلسطين

المـركز اإلعالمـي الحكـومي مكتب رئيس الوزراء

State of Palestine Government Media Center

Office of the Prime Minister

Tel.: +970 2 295 4064 Fax: +970 2 295 4035 Ramallah, Palestine info@pgmc.ps, www.palestinecabinet.gov.ps

Affidavits signed by Maysara Abu Hamdiya's lawyer

Below is a memorandum filed by Maysara Abu Hamdiya's lawyer (assigned by

the Ministry of Prisoner Affairs), Mr. Rami Al-Alami, after a visit to the later

prisoner on 12 March 2013. The lawyer's last visit to Abu Hamdiya was on 31

March, a day after he was transferred to Soroka hospital after having fainted in

Eshel prison.

Unofficial Translation

Name of Lawyer: Rami N. Alami

Date of Visit: 12 March 2013

Place: Eshel Prison, Section 11

The detainee came to see me in a very bad state. I had visited him before 9 months but this

time, he looked really tired and weak. He seemed like a different person; unable to walk

without the assistance of other detainees. He couldn’t move his legs; his voice was husky and

hardly audible. In fact, prisoner Amjad Kabha, who was accompanying him, had to relay to

me what [Abu Hamdiya] said because I couldn't make out what he was saying.

After asking him about his health condition, the prisoner said that his health started to

deteriorate since August 2012 when he suffered severe throat ache accompanied by swelling

in lymphatic and salivary glands. During that period, the prisoner was in Al-Ramoon prison;

he went to the prison clinic and was given anti-biotic medications without any tests.

Afterwards, the prisoner was given an flu shot after which he immediately suffered chest pain

and general aches. The prisoner went once again to the clinic and described his condition to

the doctor, who refused to further investigate his condition.

After pushing the issue with the prison clinic, it was approved to send him to the hospital in

October. The date was then delayed to November then delayed again until December. When

he went to Soroka hospital in Bir Sheva, the hospital was told that he was brought to the

hospital due to eye problems and not because of the pain he suffers in the lungs and chest.

Prisoner Abu Hamdiya was then returned to Alramoon prison without without doing the

needed tests.

During this period, the prisoner said he began to lose a lot of weight; in fact he lost about 14

kilograms of his weight. On the 10th

of January 2013, he was taken to Surka hospital once

again, where an ultrasound of the neck was conducted after which a specialist that a biopsy

showed he cancer cells in the throat area and that those cells had apparently spread to

surrounding glands in the neck area.

دولة فلسطين

المـركز اإلعالمـي الحكـومي مكتب رئيس الوزراء

State of Palestine Government Media Center

Office of the Prime Minister

Tel.: +970 2 295 4064 Fax: +970 2 295 4035 Ramallah, Palestine info@pgmc.ps, www.palestinecabinet.gov.ps

On 17 January 2013, the prisoner was brought back to Suroka hospital, where he had an

endoscopy procedure for the throat area. During this period, Abu Hamdiya was suffering

from cute throat pain, difficulty swallowing and breathing, phlegm in chest, and suffered

from dyspnoea. Throughout that period and until this date, the prisoner wasn’t given any

treatment.

The prisoner added that on 24 January 2013, he was sent to Al-Ramla hospital for a chest

radiogram and later sent back to prison. He said that the trip from to and from the hospital

was very difficult; said he suffered and his pain kept getting worse. Due to his severe pain, he

was given a pain killer (Voltarin) suppositories, as he was unable to take painkillers orally

because of his acute stomach infections.

Two weeks later, Abu Hamdiya was transferred to Asaf Harofeh hospital, where he

underwent an MRI test of the chest, neck and glands. A gallium scan was also conducted and

it was the most painful test of all.

The doctor at the Asaf Harofeh hospital said more tests were needed to reach a cancer

diagnosis and determine its type in order to administer the proper treatment. The doctor also

informed ABu Hamdiya that he would be transferred to a hospital in Jerusalem, where more

tests will be administered and then he would be sent to a specialist in Soroka hospital. Abu

Hamdiya said that on Sunday 10 March 2013, he was transferred from Ramon prison to Eshel

prison because, as he was told, it was closer to Soroka hospital. According to the prisoner, on

12 March 2013, he was sent to Soroka hospital, where more tests were administered under

full anesthesia, including a throat and abdomen endoscopy. When he came to and asked about

the results, Abu Hamdiya was told that the results where sent to the doctor in Eshel prison.

The prisoner said that until this day, he has not received any treatment and that he has only

been given painkillers. He confirms that this health is deteriorating with each passing day.

Abu Hamdiya has loss of appetite, difficulty in swallowing and acute pains in his body,

especially his muscles and ribs. He cannot sleep, day or night, from the pain. He also cannot

walk or get to the bathroom without the assistance of other prisoners. ABu Hamdiya cannot

stand on his feet and he lies in bed most of the time. He said that he went to the prison clinic

and asked them for medication or supplements to improve his appetite but the clinic ignored

his request.

Au Hamdiya called on all free men in this world and all human rights and international

organizations to step in and help save his life and cease Israel's policy of medical negligence.

[END]