Muhammad al-Qiq or Mohammed al-Qeeq ( ar, محمد القيق) is a Palestinian journalist, correspondent and reporter for Saudi News Agency

Almajd TV Network Al-Majd Network () is a group of general and specialized satellite television channels which includes five free-to-air channels and eight encrypted channels. The group has a strong Salafi Islamic orientation and is owned by Saudi businessman F ...

. Al-Qiq received international attention in 2015 when he began a

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...

in 2015 in protest of him being incarcerated under Israeli

administrative detention Administrative detention is arrest and detention of individuals by the state without trial. A number of jurisdictions claim that it is done for security reasons. Many countries claim to use administrative detention as a means to combat terrorism ...

(internment without trial or charge).Israel Approves Forcible Treatment of Hunger Striker al-Qiq
Wafa He was released on May 19, 2016, after enduring a 94-day hunger strike. Al-Qiq was detained again on January 16, 2017, and subsequently began a new hunger strike. Al-Qiq lives in Abu Qash in the

Ramallah Ramallah ( , ; ar, رام الله, , God's Height) is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank that serves as the ''de facto'' administrative capital of the State of Palestine. It is situated on the Judaean Mountains, north of Jerusale ...

District in

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

. He has a master's degree in Contemporary Arab Studies from

Birzeit University Birzeit University (BZU; ar, جامعة بيرزيت) is a public university in the West Bank, in the State of Palestine, registered by the Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs as charitable organization. It is accredited by the Palestinian Mi ...

Arrest

At 2:00 am on 21 November 2015, al-Qiq was arrested at his home in

. The Israeli Security Agency Shin Bet said al-Qiq was arrested for "terror activity" for the Islamist group

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...

B'Tselem B'Tselem ( he, בצלם, , " in the image of od) is a Jerusalem-based non-profit organization whose stated goals are to document human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, combat any denial of the existence of su ...

reported that the classified intelligence evidence viewed by the Israeli Supreme Court was judged significant and that the court therefore deemed the detention justified. Unusually, the Court's decision contained details of the reasons for Al-Qiq's detention; "Involvement in recent military activity, in the operations of Kutla Islamiya in Bir Zeit University, and military contact with operatives in the Gaza Strip." According to Amnesty, the stated reason for Al-Qiq's detention was "incitement," of working with media associated with Hamas and of being a "threat."

Previous Arrests and Detentions

In 2003, Al-Qiq was imprisoned for a month; in 2004, he was imprisoned for 13 months for "Hamas-related activities"; and in 2008, he was "sentenced to 16 months on charges linked to his activities on the student council at the West Bank's Birzeit University."

Hunger strike

Almost a month later, on 17 December, an administrative detention order was issued against him. Shortly after his arrest, al-Qiq launched a hunger strike in protest. Prison guards at HaEmek Medical Center hospital in Afula tied him to his bed, forcibly examined and treated him, and put an intravenous line in his arm to administer salts and minerals against his will.

Collapse

On 15 January 2016, al-Qiq collapsed and was transferred to an intensive care unit and forcibly treated again.Israel must end ill-treatment of hunger-striking Palestinian detainee

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

, 22 January 2016

"Free or dead"

In an interview with

Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera English (AJE; ar, الجزيرة‎, translit=al-jazīrah, , literally "The Peninsula", referring to the Qatar Peninsula) is an international 24-hour English-language news channel owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network, which is own ...

on 1 February 2016, al-Qiq's wife, Fayha Shalash, said that her husband had signed a document refusing any medical treatment, even if he loses consciousness. "His decision is very clear: either free or dead, not in between," Shalash said. Starting 10 January 2016, the hospital forcibly fed al-Qiq for four consecutive days. He was strapped to his bed, unable to get up for any reason, and fed intravenously.

Lost significant hearing

On 2 February 2016 it was reported that al-Qiq has lost significant hearing, and he is still conscious and refuses any medical treatment.Israeli court to hold hearing for hunger-striking journalist
Ma'an News Agency

Lost ability to speak

On 6 February 2016 (74th consecutive day) it was reported that al-Qiq has lost his ability to speak due to his frail health, and that he only communicates in writing. He has said he will continue his hunger strike until "martyrdom or freedom".Imprisoned hunger striker al-Qiq refuses Israeli offer to be released in May
Ma'an News Agency

High Court "suspends" detention order

On Thursday 4 February, Israel's High Court of Justice "suspended" the detention order after al-Qiq's health deteriorated. Its conditions stipulated that al-Qiq must remain in hospital, and must seek permission from the Israeli authorities should he wish to receive treatment at another hospital. According to al-Qiq's lawyer, Jawad Boulus, the High Court said that the authorities would re-arrest al-Qiq should his health improve, and resume the detention order against him. The journalist vowed to continue his hunger strike until he is released or dead.

Refuses Israeli offer to be released in May

On Sunday 7 February 2016, al-Qiq refused an Israeli offer to be released in May. While still gravely ill and at risk of death, the hunger striker is insisting on an immediate end to his administrative detention. Pointing out an apparent inconsistency in the reasons given by Israel for detaining al-Qiq and the offer of release on 1 May, Amnesty International asked "If al-Qiq was detained for real and imperative reasons of security, how can the authorities know he will no longer pose a threat as of 1 May?"Israel/OPT: Palestinian hunger-striking detainee close to death

High Court compromise proposal

On Monday, 15 February, Israeli High Court of Justice proposed the solution to transfer al-Qiq to Makassed Hospital in

East Jerusalem East Jerusalem (, ; , ) is the sector of Jerusalem that was held by Jordan during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, as opposed to the western sector of the city, West Jerusalem, which was held by Israel. Jerusalem was envisaged as a separat ...

. Justice Elyakim Rubinstein has denied al-Qiq's lawyer to transfer him to a hospital in Ramallah from the hospital in Afula where he is currently hospitalised.

Political and diplomatic

The Chairman of the Committee for Detainees and Ex-detainees, Issa Qaraqe, said al-Qiq's health condition has deteriorated severely, and that he is in need of intensive care. He called on the international community to intervene and pressure Israel to release him, saying Al-Qiq insists on going free before he ends his hunger-strike.

Humanitarian

In a statement issued on Tuesday 2 February 2016, the United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance and Development Aid, Robert Piper, reiterated "the United Nations' long-standing position that all administrative detainees – Palestinian or Israeli – should be charged or released without delay". On 8 February 2016,

expressed further concern that al-Qiq is at imminent risk of death and remains effectively detained without charge or trial.

Israeli public opinion

There are voices among Israeli public that call for government to stop practice of administrative detentions and either release such prisoners or put him on trial. The protests against the police and al-Qiq detention are being organized by Israeli Arab journalists and members of

Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...

Professional

On 14 January 2016, the

International Federation of Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is the largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions in the world. It represents more than 600,000 media workers from 187 organisations in 146 countries. The IFJ is an associate ...

and its affiliate the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate expressed deep concern over al-Qiq's health and demanded his immediate release.Detained without trial: Hunger striking Palestinian journalist's health deteriorating in Israeli jail
IFEX

External links

His profile at AddameerAssociation

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qiq, Muhammad al- 1982 births Living people Palestinian people imprisoned by Israel Palestinian prisoners and detainees Palestinian writers Internments Palestinian hunger strikers Imprisoned journalists Palestinian reporters and correspondents Birzeit University alumni