Abbas sends Ban ki-moon urgent letter over striking prisoners

President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday sent an urgent letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about striking prisoners\' hard conditions in Israeli prisons. Abbas explained in his letter how critical the health conditions of each of the striking prisoners, Samer Issawi, Jafar Izzeddin, Ayman Sharawneh and Tariq Qadan. Abbas said, “We are counting on your efforts to preserve the lives of the Palestinian prisoners, especially the striking ones, and release them.” Samer Issawi, who was released in the recent prisoners’ swap deal, has been hunger striking for over 204 days while Izzeddin and Qadan, who were detained without charge or trial, has been strikingfor about 78 days. Ayman Sharawneh, from Hebron, is currently being detained in Beer Sheba prison and striking for over 140 days.