The following is a translation of a report from the Deportatie Verzet website:

The situation of Nessar, the spokesperson from the group of hunger strikers in Rotterdam detention centre who was put in isolation on Friday night, has become critical. After 4 days refusing water his kidneys have begun to give up. Despite this he refuses to be taken to hospital. He has also declared that he does not want any artificial food or medicine.

“I am not a criminal. I do not want to be treated as a criminal.” And so Nessar continues not to drink. And this is killing him.

Nessar is not only dying from his thirst strike. The manager of the detention centre has said that from now on he must be woken up every hour. That means that he can no longer sleep. The deprivation of sleep is a proven torture technique. That says Nessar himself: “This is torture. This cannot happen. I have said, put me in a cell with CCTV, then you can see if I am still alive. But they do not want to do that.” The manager has said: “We will not put you in an isolation cell, because if we do so your lawyer can make a complaint”

Every hour when the guards come to Nessar’s cell they put the light on, and they turn the lock in the heavy metal door, thus waking him up. The cell is cold: the ventilator is on all the time and is pointed towards his bed.

No food.

No water.

No sleep.

Nessar’s situation is life-threatening. And all he is doing all of this to let us know in what a hell he and other asyluim seekers find themselves in after they come to the Netherlands seeking sanctuary.