Fayyad meets father of detained Islamic Jihad leader

Ramallah prime minister Salam Fayyad on Thursday met with the father of detained Islamic Jihad leader Khader Adnan. Adnan's father appealed to Fayyad to save his son's life. The Palestinian Authority prime minister appealed to human rights organizations to intervene in Adnan's case. Israeli forces detained Adnan on Dec. 17 in Jenin in the northern West Bank. On Jan. 8, Israel issued an administrative order to extend his detention for four months without trial or charge. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said Tuesday it was concerned over a deterioration in Adnan's health. The Islamic Jihad leader has been on hunger strike for 47 days. He was hospitalized on day 43 of the strike. There are currently 280 prisoners in administrative detention -- without charge -- in Israeli jails. The PCHR says that administrative detention "is illegal and falls under the category of political arrests, constituting a violation of the detainee’s right to a fair trial, including his right to receive adequate defense and to be informed of the charges against him" in a statement.