U.S. Government Must Publicly Call for U.A.E. to Allow Private and Immediate Medical Care for U.S. Citizen Zack Shahin

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Without U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's May 1, 2012 statement of support for imprisoned former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, in which Clinton said "We urge the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that Mrs. Tymoshenko receives immediate medical assistance in an appropriate facility and request that the U.S. Ambassador be given access to her", it is unlikely that Tymoshenko would have quit her nearly three-week hunger strike and received proper medical attention from an independent, outside medical doctor. As the Associated Press reported on June 5, 2012, Dr. Karl Einhaeupl and colleagues from [Berlin's Charite hospital] have examined her (Tymoshenko) and supervised her treatment at a hospital in Kharkiv, where she has been serving her sentence, in recent weeks." In light of the U.S. government's public statement supporting the medical care of a non-U.S. citizen prisoner, convicted and jailed in a foreign country, and the Ukrainian government's benevolent decision to allow a foreign doctor to examine and treat this convicted prisoner, U.S. legal counsel to Zack Shahin issued the following statement:

"Since Zack Shahin began his hunger strike 25 days ago, we have sought, through the assistance of the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, independent and qualified medical care for Zack. Despite our asking the U.S. Embassy to provide a U.S. government doctor to examine Shahin, who has not had a proper medical examination in the four years he has been imprisoned in Dubai without bail, trial, or conviction, this request was refused.  When U.S. Consulate officials were contacted to ask whether a private, third-party medical doctor, that Zack's family would pay for, could examine Zack in prison, we were told that only jail-house medical staff may examine Zack.  Where is the outrage from the U.S. government that U.A.E. authorities and Dubai prison officials are blocking the proper medical treatment of a U.S. citizen?  Why isn't Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issuing a press release urging the U.A.E. to allow 'immediate medical assistance in an appropriate facility' for Zack?  We understand balancing relations with U.A.E. must be a tricky juggling act. We know the U.A.E. loves spending their oil money on military equipment and other wonderful U.S. products. But, a U.S. citizen's life hangs in the balance. An immediate and public statement must be issued urging the U.A.E. to allow a private medical doctor to examine Zack Shahin on a regular basis to monitor his condition during this crucial and critical time. Secretary Clinton, it is the right thing to do."

For more information, please visit www.FreeZack.com.

U.S. legal counsel to Zack Shahin are Jim Jatras, Rebekah Poston, and Eric Akers.

CONTACT: Darren Spinck (202-669-4419 / [email protected])

SOURCE U.S. Legal Counsel for Zack Shahin