Un grand monsieur disparaît...
Gaza mental health pioneer dies aged 70
▻http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/12/gaza-mental-health-pioneer-dies-aged-70-201312188351865989.html
Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj, a renowed and respected Palestinian psychiatrist and human rights defender based in the Gaza Strip, has died at age 70 after a long battle with cancer.
The founder and medical director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), El-Sarraj died on Tuesday in an Israeli hospital where he was receiving treatment, Husam El-Nounou, head of administration at GCMHP, told Al Jazeera.
El-Nounou said El-Sarraj’s body was being brought back to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning, and that his funeral was expected to begin after midday prayer at al-Omari mosque in Gaza City that same day.
“He is considered the father of mental health and the pioneer of mental health in Palestine. Our commitment to Dr. Sarraj is to continue his message and his struggle for respect of human rights ,” El-Nounou said. (...)
He was a staunch critic of both Israel and Palestinian leadership, and was imprisoned by the Palestinian Authority (PA) four times. (...)
El-Sarraj also received the Olof Palme Prize in 2010 for his “self-sacrificing and indefatigable struggle for common sense, reconciliation and peace between Palestine and Israel”.
"I am proud and happy to receive this prize, but I consider that the real heroes are the victims of violence, torture and war… This prize gives me hope and encourages me to continue to fight to defend those whose rights have been abused, and to work for justice and peace," El-Sarraj said after receiving the award.