Rights Groups Warn of Imminent Danger to Detained Doctor Hussam Abu Safiya’s Life
Rights groups warn Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya faces imminent danger after reports of severe abuse, injuries, and medical neglect in Israeli detention.
PALESTINE, PUREWILAYAH.COM – New information provided by lawyer Nasser Awda, the attorney and representative of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, has revealed a serious deterioration in his health after he was transferred to the underground Rakevet interrogation section inside the Israeli Nitzan Prison in the city of Ramla.
Physicians for Human Rights, together with his lawyer, demanded that he be transferred immediately from the section and that a judge be allowed to visit him urgently to examine his condition closely before it is too late.
Severe Injuries and Signs of Collapse
Lawyer Nasser Awda and Physicians for Human Rights warned in a press statement on Monday that Dr. Abu Safiya faces an imminent threat to his life, following information obtained after his lawyer visited him on July 2 inside the Rakevet section of Nitzan Prison.
In his written testimony, Awda said Dr. Abu Safiya was brought to the visit with his hands and feet shackled and surrounded by several masked prison guards. He said fresh and serious injuries were visible on his body, including on his head, around his eyes, ears, and neck, to the point that he was difficult to recognize.
The examination during the visit showed that Abu Safiya was suffering from difficulty breathing and speaking continuously. He appeared extremely weak, unable to sit steadily, and repeatedly showed signs of losing consciousness.
The lawyer also observed a state of severe fear and clear psychological exhaustion, with Abu Safiya hesitating to speak freely out of fear of punishment. Based on these observations, the lawyer concluded that his life was in immediate danger.
Abu Safiya told his lawyer that he had been violently assaulted after an appeal session before the Israeli Supreme Court on June 10 while he was being held in solitary confinement in Ganot Prison. He said four or five prison guards stormed his cell and attacked him with a hammer and batons, causing injuries across his body.
He added that since his transfer to the Rakevet section, he has been subjected to daily beatings and violence, and has lost consciousness several times without receiving proper medical treatment.
He expressed serious fears for his life, saying this could be the last time he would meet his lawyer, and stressing that he did not expect to survive under his current detention conditions.
Urgent Calls for Transfer and Medical Examination
Following the visit, lawyer Nasser Awda urgently contacted the Israeli prison administration, demanding an immediate halt to the assaults, Abu Safiya’s transfer to another detention facility, and the provision of full medical treatment. He held the authorities fully responsible for any further deterioration in his condition.
Physicians for Human Rights also sent urgent appeals to the government’s legal adviser, the heads of relevant parliamentary committees, the public defense office, and the prison administration, demanding that an independent official body be sent to visit the detainee and conduct an independent medical examination amid growing concerns for his life.
The Israeli occupation has detained Abu Safiya since December 27, 2024, under the Unlawful Combatants Law, without charges and without complete judicial proceedings.
The Beersheba Central Court extended his detention for an additional six months before the Supreme Court rejected his appeal on June 10, 2026.
Available information indicates that he was transferred between several detention facilities, including Ketziot Prison and Ganot Prison, before being moved to the underground Rakevet section of Nitzan Prison on June 24.
The information also indicates that the escalation of assaults and the sharp deterioration in his health coincided with his legal efforts, raising serious concerns that require an immediate and independent investigation.
Physicians for Human Rights Demands His Release
The Rakevet section is a secret underground unit used for interrogation and detention inside Nitzan Prison. Previous testimonies have reported violence and mistreatment against detainees held there.
Physicians for Human Rights stressed that any delay in intervention, given the available information, could expose Abu Safiya’s life to real danger. The group emphasized that the occupation authorities bear full responsibility for the safety of detainees in their custody.
The organization renewed its demand for the immediate release of Dr. Abu Safiya and all other doctors detained without charge, as well as an independent investigation into the conditions of their detention and the violations they are facing.
Lawyer Nasser Awda said the condition he witnessed during the latest visit was radically different from his client’s previous state, stressing that Abu Safiya’s physical and psychological condition, along with the visible injuries, clearly indicate an imminent threat to his life. He called for his immediate transfer and an urgent independent medical examination.
For his part, Naji Abbas, director of the Prisoners and Detainees Department at Physicians for Human Rights, said the available information raises grave and immediate concern.
He described the lawyer’s testimony as one of the most shocking testimonies since the beginning of the war, as it involved a detainee held without charge speaking of his fear of being killed, while suffering from injuries, breathing difficulties, and being close to losing consciousness.
Abbas added that the sharp deterioration in Abu Safiya’s condition coincided with his resort to legal action, requiring an urgent independent investigation. He warned of a real danger to his life if the authorities do not intervene immediately. (PW)