Special report – Republic of Palestine
The legal and human rights efforts exerted by the Legal Committee of the Union of Palestinian Communities and Organizations in Europe resulted in the inclusion of the case of the Palestinian detainee Riyad Al-Bustangi in the Italian Parliament, after a human rights statement issued by the Legal Committee was adopted as the basis for an official inquiry to the Italian government, which was submitted to Parliament regarding his health condition and the circumstances of his detention.
In a significant move, Italian MP Stefania Ascari submitted a formal parliamentary inquiry to the Italian Ministers of Justice and Health, demanding urgent clarification regarding the health of Palestinian detainee Riyad al-Bustangi, held in Rossano Calabro prison. This comes amid growing concerns about his deteriorating health and the denial of necessary medical care. The inquiry is based on a recent statement issued by the Legal Committee of the Union of Communities, which sounded the alarm about the sharp and dangerous decline in the health of al-Bustangi and other detainees in European prisons.
According to the parliamentary inquiry document, Al-Bustangi, 60, suffers from diabetes and other chronic illnesses, in addition to a serious decline in his vision that could lead to the loss of one eye due to delays in specialized examinations and necessary treatment. The document also highlighted growing concerns about detention conditions and medical care within the prison.
In an exclusive interview with the Republic of Palestine website, Khaled Al-Qaisi, responsible for the Legal Committee in Europe, stated that “the Legal Committee aims to build legal and political pressure to compel European governments to assume their humanitarian and legal responsibilities towards Palestinian detainees.”
Al-Qaisi added that “the legal committee worked to monitor and document al-Bustangi’s health condition and was able to organize a field visit for elected representatives to examine the detainee’s health and humanitarian conditions, in partnership with other Organizations in Europe, with the aim of raising the case to the level of public political accountability within official European institutions.”
Al-Qaisi emphasized that “the case reaching the Italian Parliament is a clear indication of the success of the human rights effort and organized work, and confirms that professional legal work is capable of penetrating official European institutions and placing the Palestinian issue on their political agenda.”
Observers believe that what happened represents a significant shift in the nature of Palestinian activism within Europe, as legal and media tools are now capable of producing a tangible political impact. This is evidenced by their success in transforming an individual case into a matter subject to debate and accountability within the Italian Parliament. This is not the first time such efforts have been undertaken; in recent months, this approach has enabled effective parliamentary oversight of the legal guarantees afforded to a number of Palestinian detainees facing trial in Italian courts.
