Hayel Abu Zeid is a Syrian human rights activist from Golan. He was detained by the Israeli forces on 18/8/1985 and released on 20/12/2004 after his health situation gravely deteriorated. Hayel has been suffering from Leukemia since long time but the Israeli authorities didn’t confess his situation until the end of 2004 when he was taken to Rambam hospital.

Hayel was born in 1 Jan.1969 in MAJDAL SHAMS in JULAN. The bad economic conditions of his family urged him to leave school in 1981 before reaching the intermediate stage.

He started his national activities within the Syrian Resistance against the Israeli Forces since he was young.

In 18 Aug.1985, the Israeli forces attacked Hayel’s home and arrested him with some of his comrades and drove them into JALMA, an investigation center near HAIFA. In JALMA severe physical and psychological torture was practiced against Hayel before he was sentenced into 27 years imprisonment. After that, he was moved into the central prisons in RAMLAH and ASSKALAN, where tortured was resumed against him leading to fractions in his nose and shoulders bones, which were cured later through efforts by the Red Cross and Arab lawyers. At the end of 1993, the Israeli authorities allowed an Arab doctor to check Hayel and report his situation. The medical report showed that he has Hemorrhoids and severe sight weakness in both eyes that need an urgent surgery, in addition to inflammations in the vertebral column.

An appeal sent by one of the human rights organization drove some doctors to visit him in prison. After that, Hayel underwent to unsuccessful surgeries for Hemorrhoids removal. Hayel Abu Zeid lost 90% of his sight because of the lack of medical care. In spite of the several appeals that Hayel sent asking for help, the Israeli authorities in SHATTA prison did not make any initiative to help him or even allow a doctor to check him. As a result of the contributing efforts of the Israeli Human Rights Organization, ”Doctors With No Borders” and Mrs.Tamar Beilg, a friend of Hayel from TEL AVIV, Hayel could have his first eyes-surgery in the hospital of RAMLAH prison.

Having completed the legal and administrative procedures may Arabian lawyers along with the Israeli human rights organizations released appeals calling upon for permitting professional doctors of checking Hayel and providing him with the needed medical care in the prison’s clinic or the hospital. However, this demand was rejected because the prison lacked the related medical equipments. Consequently, another demand was launched and this time asking for permission to transfer him to a private hospital and gain the demand was dismissed and the excuse this time was that the detainee doesn’t suffer any problems in his eyes and that the prison’s doctor checked him many times and presented the treatment he needed.

In 19 FEB.2003, after meeting the head of the medical staff of prison, Hayel was transferred into the hospital of RAMALLA prison, where ophthalmologist checked him and reported that he was suffering from interior dislocations of lenses in both eyes and that an urgent surgery should be done for him. The surgery took place in ‘ASAF HROFEH’ Hospital in 10/7/2004 without leading to any change and Hayel’s kept loosing his vision gradually. In 5 DEC.2004 Hayel was transferred into AFFOULA and then onto RAMBAM hospitals after loosing his perception due to severe pains in the head, foot and shoulders. The medical tests showed this time that he suffers from Leukemia, and in an advanced stage.

The above facts gave rise to the following questions:

1 -Why the Israeli authorities didn’t comply with all the appeals and demands that were sent by the human rights organizations until Hayel lost his vision in the left eye completely, and suffered from color blind in the right one?

 -Why didn’t the doctors of the prisons declare that he suffers from expansion in Aorta artery until the human rights organizations and the Committee for the Support of Detainees in Israeli Prisons complained at the Israeli high court?

 -Why didn’t they make new medical checkups after that unsuccessful surgery even though there was a medical report released by AFFOULA hospital, which mentioned that this failure was due to gland inflammations caused by Leukemia?

 -Why didn’t they make early blood tests for him, which could uncovered his disease at an earlier stage?

 -Why didn’t they respect his situation although the competent committee and the human rights organizations presented in their meeting in 4SEP.2003   the required medical reports for the judicial staff of prisons?

 Hayel Abu Zeid spent 19 years in the Israeli prisons and suffered from malnutrition and severe diseases due to the bad conditions in these prisons, in addition to continuous torture.

 Hayel suffers from Leukemia, interior dislocation of lenses in both eyes and expansion in the Aorta. That’s why he must receive an urgent treatment and spinal cord transplant surgery, in addition to permanent medications for Leukemia and eyes, the thing that costs 80 thousands dollars.

Hayel is another victim of torture and humiliation practiced in the Israeli prisons and he needs the help of the rehabilitation centers and civil organizations urgently. He is nowadays lying down in RAMBAM hospital. So let’s help him by sending financial and moral contributions to his personal account in the ARAB BANK at the number: 570-1-461737.

  26/01/2005