Occupation refuses to release cancer-stricken prisoner Abu Hmeid

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The occupation court refused on Thursday the request for the early release of the cancer-stricken prisoner Nasser Abu Hmeid, despite his critical health condition, the Palestinian Prisoners Club confirmed.

The prisoner Abu Hmeid is facing a critical health situation in Ramle prison, as it was recently found that he suffers from severe pneumonia, knowing that his body is no longer responding to painkillers, -- the only medication he is currently being provided with -- after the doctors decided to stop his chemotherapy and acknowledged that Nasser has reached the last stages [of life], the club clarified.

The occupation prison administration continues to carry out the crime of medical negligence (slow killing) against prisoner Abu Hmeid and to abuse him, the club stressed in its statement.

الأسير #ناصر_أبو_حميد.. إن لم يقتله الرصاص، سيقتله مرض #السرطان!

استمعوا إلى قصة "الأسير #ناصر_أبو_حميد، بين المرض وقضبان الأسر.. حكاية معاناة" كاملة في #بودكاست #من_الزنزانة👇https://t.co/lt3vpcCKSk#الميادين_بودكاست pic.twitter.com/MNZwpyYAOs

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) October 6, 2022

The Palestinian Waed Prisoners Association condemned today the decision refusing to release the sick prisoner Nasser Abu Hmeid, by the so-called committee to consider early release, noting that this decision "was expected from an occupation that caused Nasser Abu Hamid in the first place to reach this dangerous health condition."

"The decision reflects the insistence on the killing and liquidation of Nasser Abu Hamid in cold blood, without any regard for the doctors' recommendations, who made it clear that he is living his last days," the association said, noting that "his body is no longer responding to any kind of treatment, whether it be chemotherapy or painkillers."

رغم وضعه الصحيّ الحرج، اللجنة المختصة بالنظر في قضية الأسير المريض بالسرطان ناصر ابو حميد، ترفض طلب الإفراج المبكر عنه. pic.twitter.com/PZUEVre3Bf

— أسرى فلسطين (@PalPrisoners) October 6, 2022

The association called for continuing the work in all its forms "and in all possible ways to support the steadfastness of prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid, who has proven, along with his family, that he is a unique Palestinian case that deserves every support and effort.

It also stressed the continuation, in the coming days, of the mass, popular, and media movement to expose the policies that the occupation carries out against prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid and all sick prisoners, especially those suffering from cancer, who face deliberate and dangerous medical negligence.

In turn, the Ministry of Prisoners in Gaza said that the decision of the so-called special committee to consider early release represents a decision of "slow killing and systematic execution" against sick prisoners and an unprecedented disregard for their lives.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Prisoners reported that Prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid was urgently transferred from Ramle prison to the hospital, after a highly dangerous deterioration in his health.

The Palestinian Prisoner's Club announced on Tuesday that prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid was urgently transferred from Ramle Prison to the hospital, following a very serious deterioration in his health condition.

On Monday, the family of prisoner Abu Hamid said that their son is dying in the occupation prisons, stressing that "the Palestinian Foreign Ministry is failing to follow up on his case."

Earlier this year,  Abu Hmeid, 49, from the Amari refugee camp in Ramallah, entered a coma after suffering from severe inflammation of the lungs as a result of bacterial contamination.

Last month, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said a tumor detected in Abu Hmeid’s head was due to Israeli negligence and failure to deal with the prisoner's health condition at an earlier stage.

The Commission had previously reported that Abu Hmeid had undergone chemotherapy sessions until his health was rapidly deteriorating and entered a critical and dangerous stage. 

Abu Hmeid's family has previously urged all parties of concern to take urgent action to save the prisoner's life and called on the masses to continue their popular support.

The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission had urged all human rights organizations and international institutions to urgently intervene and pressure the Israeli occupation to release Abu Hmeid.

Abu Hmeid has been in Israeli occupation prisons since 2002 and is serving seven life sentences and an additional 50 years. He is one of five siblings serving life sentences in Israeli occupation prisons.

His mother was prevented from visiting him for years, and he was unable to attend the funeral of his father who died while Nasser was in prison. However, despite all the occupation's attempts to break his spirit, Abu Hmeid rejected a proposal made by his lawyer to "request a pardon from the prime minister of the occupation government in order to release him."