Freedom for Dr Issam Hijjawi Bassalat
Dr Issam Hijjawi Bassalat, 62, is an ophthalmologist from Palestine who has lived in Edinburgh since 2010, having moved to the UK in 1995 to work as a GP. Over and above his decades of medical service, Dr Bassalat is also well-known for his advocacy work in support of Palestinian human rights across Europe and beyond. Throughout his time as activist, Dr Bassalat maintained an impeccable track record of commitment to non-violent campaigning for freedom and just peace for the Palestinian people.
Today Dr Bassalat is a remand prisoner, held in high-security Maghaberry Prison (County Antrim, Northern Ireland) as a result of an MI5 operation in August 2020 targeted at the New IRA (proscribed organisation in the UK). Issam is facing a single charge of "preparing terrorist acts" as a result of ‘entrapment’, according to his defence. For more information relating to the questionable nature of this undercover activity and the dubious nature of the charges against Dr. Bassalat readers are encouraged to review this documentary aired by Channel 4 in October 2020. Readers are at liberty to form their own opinions.
In this article we wish to draw special attention to the shameful medical neglect experienced by Dr. Bassalat, which according to the Scotland Against Criminalising Communities (SACC) may amount to a breach of the prohibition on torture, inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Dr. Bassalat suffers from a spinal problem which is causing him severe pain and puts him at risk of irreversible nerve root damage if not surgically treated, as confirmed by a private neurosurgeon, whose opinion was sought by Issam in view of Maghaberry Prison’s failure to provide the required medical assistance.
As noted by Issam’s barrister, Brenda Campbell QC, “Within the prison system they have really reached the end of the road in terms of trying to make him more comfortable. He requires surgery, he is experiencing muscle wastage as a result of what he is very much concerned about is nerve damage that may be permanent.”
Maghaberry Prison’s has failed to provide Dr Bassalat the medical assistance he requires over the last five months, only partly as a result of the difficulties that the pandemic has caused for arranging in person specialist medical care for prisoners. It follows that bail now provides the only realistic route to treatment.
Despite overwhelming evidence that Dr Bassalat represents no danger whatsoever to the public and will not attempt to flee from justice, his bail application has now been refused several times, prolonging Issam’s agony.
We would agree with SACC’ s assessment that “his continued incarceration serves no other purpose than to conceal from the public the fact that his arrest - and perhaps the whole of Operation Arbacia - was of much less significance than early reports suggested.” The bowing of the courts to this type of political pressure does very little towards addressing the dark track record of miscarriages of justice and collusion of the judiciary system with the British State, particularly on political events and violence in Ireland.
Maghaberry Prison has a duty, under Northern Ireland Prison Rules, to provide “all possible assistance with any application” for bail. It also has a duty to ensure proper health care for prisoners. SPSC has joined the recent appeal to the Northern Ireland Executive by several dozens of organisations and individuals urging the Governor of Maghaberry Prison to meet their responsibility for Dr Bassalat’s health by lending his support to any application that Dr Bassalat makes for bail.
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