news type: 
Martyrdom of Walid Daqqah (1961-2024)
Date: 
April 08 2024

The Institute for Palestine Studies (IPS) mourns martyr Walid Daqqah (Abu Milad), a writer, novelist, and member of the editorial board of Majallat al-Dirasat al-Filastiniyya (the Arabic Journal of Palestine Studies), who died in Israeli custody at Assaf Harofeh Hospital due to the deterioration of his health as a result of medical negligence and the harsh living conditions in Israeli prisons. Despite battling cancer, the Israeli Occupation authorities refused to release him. He spent 38 years in Israeli prisons.

IPS extends its condolences to the family of the martyr, the prisoner movement at large, and the Palestinian people for the loss of one of the longest-serving prisoners in Israeli prisons and one of the most prominent writers and researchers who continued his intellectual and literary production despite Israeli constraints and the long years of imprisonment. His prolific body of work will remain an enduring part of Palestinian history.

Walid Daqqah completed his sentence in March 2023, but Israeli authorities re-sentenced him to two more years in addition to the decades he had already served in Israeli prisons. Despite numerous calls from international human rights organizations for his release due to his deteriorating health, including a recent appeal by Amnesty International, Israeli authorities completely dismissed their calls. Israel denied Daqqah the opportunity to meet his daughter, who was born through smuggled sperm and whom he could not embrace, not even once, until his martyrdom on Sunday, April 7.

On this somber occasion, IPS encourages everyone to explore the rich literary and intellectual legacy left behind by the martyr Walid Daqqah, including his books, research papers, and articles, which are published across various platforms, including those of the Institute for Palestine Studies.


This announcement was translated into English by Aya Jayyousi. 

 

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