Father of prisoner in Israeli jail continues hunger strike

AMMAN — Mahdi Suleiman on Wednesday continued with his open-ended hunger strike in front of the Foreign Ministry for the fourth consecutive day.

The father of Mohammad, the youngest Jordanian prisoner in Israel, was admitted to hospital on the first day of the hunger strike due to hypertension and diabetes, he told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

"I spent around two hours at hospital on Sunday night and refused to receive treatment," Mahdi said, adding that he continued with the hunger strike after he left hospital.

Mohammad faces 27 charges in Israel, two of which are attempted murder and injuring 18 Israeli soldiers.

The teenager, who was 16 years old when he was arrested, was visiting relatives in the West Bank at the time.

The 58-year-old father began his hunger strike, which also includes abstaining from medicines, after the Foreign Ministry could not arrange a visit to his son "despite several promises".

"I sleep in the ministry's square at night, so that employees don't think I eat or take medication at home," Mahdi said, noting that he has a mattress and quilt with him.

He has to take nine kinds of medicines for blood pressure, diabetes and brain strokes.

Mahdi noted that ministry employees tried many times to convince him to stop the strike, but he refuses to do so until there is "tangible progress" on arranging a visit to Mohammad.

The National Committee for Jordanian Prisoners and Missing Jordanians in Zionist Prisons on Wednesday sent a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, in which it expressed concern over Mahdi's health condition as a result of the hunger strike.

In the letter, a copy of which was sent to The Jordan Times, the committee said the Foreign Ministry has not succeeded in arranging visits to Israel for prisoners' families since 2008.

The Jordan Times could not reach officials at the Foreign Ministry to comment on the issue.