Palestinian prisoners subject to isolation, violent raids in Israeli prisons

prisonPalestinian prisoners are facing ongoing repression and violations of their rights in Israeli jails, Palestinian lawyers and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society reported.

Palestinian lawyer Fadi Obeidat said that 13 prisoners have been isolated in Nafha prison since August 3, after occupation prison administrators announced they had found a tunnel inside Gilboa prison. They were firrst isolated in Gilboa, then transferred to Hasharon, and then to Nafha. They also were denied family visits for 2 months, access to the canteen for 2 months and fined 450 shekels each.

Obeidat also reported that in the isolation section in Nafha, Palestinian prisoners are held with Israeli “criminal” (as differentiated from “security” prisoners within the Israeli prison system) prisoners, leading to a high level of tension in the sections. In addition, the section has no ventilation as the windows are closed; the prisoners held there can leave their cells for only 2 hours each day, and are shackled by hands and feet at that time.

Palestinian prisoner Azmi Mardawi, as related by his lawyers, held in Megiddo prison, reported that there are another group of 12 prisoners segregated in Megiddo, who are denied access to the canteen and family visits. They receive intensive cell inspections 3 times a day and frequently at night, in which prisoners’ belongings are ransacked and damaged by prison security forces.

Dr. Fahad Abu al-Haj of the Abu Jihad Center for Prisoners Affairs reported that Israeli prison security services had raided prison sections in Ramon prison, ransacking prisoners’ belongings and suddenly transferring several prisoners.

In the Negev prison, prisoners have been subjected to repeated raids and abusive inspections without reason, reported Palestinian lawyer Moataz Shqeirat. Furthermore, Shqeirat said that Palestinian prisoners in the Negev prison are experiencing medical neglect and that there are dozens of ill prisoners in the prison not receiving the needed medicines for their chronic conditions.