Released prisoner Riyad Al-Amour dies in Egypt, President Abbas opens investigation into circumstances

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society mourned the released prisoner Riyad Al-Amour, who was deported to the Arab Republic of Egypt and passed away on Friday after a long journey of detention and confrontation with illness. Al-Amour, 55, from the town of Tuqu' in Bethlehem, spent about 23 years in Israeli occupation prisons before being released as part of the recent prisoner exchange deal, after which his medical journey abroad began, ending with his death in an Egyptian hospital.

Palestinian human rights organizations held the occupation authorities fully responsible for Al-Amour's martyrdom, emphasizing that he was a victim of systematic medical crimes and a policy of slow killing. Sources explained that the prison administration delayed for more than a decade in replacing his pacemaker, despite repeated legal and medical warnings about the seriousness of his health condition, in addition to being subjected to severe torture during his arrest in 2002, which caused him to lose hearing in one ear.

In an official reaction, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decision to form an official investigation committee to ascertain the circumstances of the death and determine medical and legal responsibilities. The committee includes leaders from the Fatah movement and the Prisoners' Affairs Commission, as well as representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health. The presidential decision also included the temporary suspension of the medical advisor at the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Cairo until the final results of the investigation are issued.

Al-Amour's death comes at a time when the prisoners' issue is witnessing a dangerous escalation, especially after the Israeli Knesset approved a law allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners and granting immunity to those who carry out these operations. Reports indicated that the deceased's health deteriorated sharply after undergoing surgery recently in Egypt, where he suffered from a lack of oxygen, leading to his admission to intensive care before he passed away, which necessitated a thorough review of the medical procedures that accompanied his condition since his release from prison.

It is worth noting that occupation prisons still hold more than 9,500 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, who live in harsh detention conditions lacking the most basic human necessities. About 117 prisoners face the imminent risk of execution under the new Israeli legislation, amid international and local warnings that prisons are turning into arenas for carrying out systematic killings away from human rights oversight.

Al-Amour's death represents a model of the slow killing policies pursued by the Israeli occupation authorities against Palestinian prisoners.