Atawi, a Saudi citizen, is still being held in an Israeli prison after six years even though he was initially sentenced to only three months by an Israeli military court. Throughout this period Al-Atawi has been moved to six Israeli prisons. Al-Atawi, who is the only Saudi in an Israeli prison, has been held since 2005. The ordeal of Al-Atawi, 40, began when he crossed the border into the Sinai Peninsula and was arrested by Israeli soldiers. His travel to the Sinai was because of his passion for hunting, but he got lost and crossed onto occupied Palestinian land where he fell into the hands of Israeli soldiers. On March 5, 2005, Al-Atawi was detained and sent to Eriz prison near Gaza for a month. This prison is where detainees are questioned initially. During this time his family did not know his whereabouts. The Israeli media carried news about the detention of a Saudi who had allegedly sneaked into Israel. At this point human rights and legal bodies from inside and outside the Kingdom started probing the authenticity of the news. Palestinian mediator Local and the foreign organizations assigned the Mandela Institute for Human Rights to follow up on Al-Atawi's case. The institute sent lawyer Bothainah Daqamq to visit Al-Atawi in Nastan Prison in Ramallah in 2006. Following this he was transferred to Erelez prison on the border with the Gaza Strip, where he was sentenced by a military tribunal to three months in prison. He was sent to Ayalon Prison at Al-Ramallah to complete his jail term. The Israeli authorities insisted that it would not release him unless a UN member state undertook to receive him. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Quds named five countries, including two Arab countries and an Islamic country, which were prepared to take him in. In protest at his continued incarceration Al-Atawi started an 80-day hunger strike and lost 70 kg weight in 2007. After he recovered he thought that he would elicit sympathy but was taken by surprise when he was transferred to Natfan Prison where he started a second hunger strike. He was sent to Masroveieh Prison where they tried to rehabilitate him physically and psychologically. Then he was moved to Ketziot Prison in the Al-Naqab Desert where he was held with a group of Sudanese who were seeking political asylum. Forced to farm During the five years in Israeli prisons he was forced to work on farms in the occupied Palestinian lands known as “Kibbutz”. His family also intensified their contact with UNHCR and lawyers. Al-Atawi's family breathed a sigh of relief when he spoke to them on the telephone which showed he was still alive. This encouraged his lawyer to inform the UNHCR about this development and asked them to speed up his case. The commission is expected to hold a meeting next week to discuss his case. In a statement, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Foreign Minister, said the Kingdom was raising Al-Atawi's issue with international organizations to allow him to return. The organizations include the United Nations, Red Crescent and Red Cross. Prince Saud said the Kingdom will do all it can for Al-Atawi. Throughout his imprisonment, Prince Fahd Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Tabuk, has been looking after his family. Mifleh Al-Qahtani, Chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), said the society is aware of Al-Atawi's case and has already contacted Amnesty International and other international organizations.
