Mohammed Mar'i Saudi Gazette RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Minister of Detainees and Ex-detainees Issa Qaraqi' Monday said that Israel occupation authorities will deport a hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner to Egypt. Qaraqi' told the Voice of Palestine Radio that the Israel security authorities agreed to the 38-year-old Samer Al-Barq's request to be deported to Egypt. The minister added that the Egyptian authorities also agreed to al-Barq's request. No date has been set for the deportation, he said. The prisoner is married to a Pakistani woman and had previously expressed his desire to be deported to the country, Qaraqi' added. Al-Barq has been on hunger strike for 117 days to protest the administrative detention. He has been held under administrative detention orders, without charges or trial, for more than 18 months. On Friday, the International Red Cross warned that Al-Barq along with the Palestinian prisoners Hassan Al-Safadi, who has been on hunger strike for 87 days and Ayman Sharawneh, who has been on hunger strike for 77 days, may die. The three are at the Israel Prison Service (IPS) clinic in Ramle. The two were also protesting against administrative detention. The Palestinian prisoners are held in administrative detention indefinitely with no charges or trial. The Israeli daily Haaretz said that a doctor from the Israeli organization Physicians for Human Rights visited the three hunger strikers last week and asked for check-ups by an objective physician because the organization does not trust IPS doctors. According to Haaretz, the doctor reported clear deterioration in the condition of the hunger strikers, who are suffering from loss of energy (movement in the large muscle groups), significant muscle depletion, dizziness, low blood pressure, slow pulse, blurred vision, bleeding gums and a fungal infection in the mouth cavity.
