Health of Jordanian prisoner in Israeli jail 'getting worse'

AMMAN — The health condition of Abdullah Abu Jaber, a Jordanian prisoner in Israel, has recently worsened because of a hunger strike he started 65 days ago, an activist said on Thursday.

Abu Jaber was arrested in 2000 for “resisting the occupation forces”, and is serving a 20-year prison term, according to the media team supporting Jordanian prisoners in Israel, Fedaa.

"His health condition is now critical and he is vomiting blood," Fedaa member Shireen Nafe told The Jordan Times over the phone, noting that the Jordanian consul in Israel recently visited Abu Jaber in Afouleh Hospital to convince him to end the strike.

But he insisted on continuing with it and was transferred to Ramlah Hospital, Nafe said, described the move as a means of placing more pressure on Abu Jaber to end his hunger strike.

The 40-year-old prisoner wants the Jordanian authorities to work on his release or transport him to the Kingdom to spend the last third of his prison term, in addition to arranging a visit for his family, Nafe said in previous remarks.

"His family went to the Foreign Ministry more than once in the past week, and officials told them to either visit him or wait until he is relocated to the Kingdom," the activist noted.

Mohammad, Abdullah's brother, said in a Fedaa statement that the prisoner has stopped taking salt and water and has refused treatment.

Dozens of Jordanians participated in a sit-in near the Foreign Ministry on December 29 to express solidarity with Abu Jaber's family, where Mohammad said that ministry officials received protesters and promised to follow up on requests to arrange visits to prisoners’ families.

The Jordan Times contacted the Foreign Ministry, and officials said they would provide information on Abu Jaber's case soon.

Nafe also noted that Israeli authorities were scheduled on Thursday to release Jordanian prisoner Akram Abu Zahrah, who has served a 14-year prison term.

Abu Zahrah was arrested on February 14, 2002 for protesting against former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon's visit to Al Aqsa Mosque, which sparked the second Intifada, according to a Fedaa statement.