Mona Qa’adan’s trial postponed for thirteenth time

mona-kaadanIsraeli military courts postponed the trial of Palestinian captive Mona Qa’adan for the thirteenth time in a row, reported the Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies on May 19.

Qa’adan, 42, from Arraba near Jenin, was arrested on November 13 2012, and her trial has been suspended since that time. Each time she has been brought to court – 13 in total – it has required a 10 hour continuous journey by “Bosta,” the infamous transport van that is poorly ventilated and includes shackling of prisoners to metal chairs.

The Center said that this was part of a psychological campaign against Qa’adan, who suffers from severe pain in the stomach and joints but has not received treatment for her illnesses. She has also been forbidden family visits as her family members’ applications to visit have been denied under the prtext of security.

Mona Qa’adan has previously spent three years in Israeli jails before being freed in the 2011 prisoner exchange (Wafa al-Ahrar). She was re-arrested a year after her release under the pretext of affiliation with Islamic Jihad.