Former prisoner, researcher and analyst, Abdel Nasser Farwana, reported that since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada on September 28, 2000 until today, there were over 78,000 Palestinians arrested from all sectors of Palestinian society.
Among these arrests included over 9,000 children under 10, and nearly 60 Palestinian legislators and ministers in addition to numerous journalists, academics, and hundreds of political leaders.
Ferwana said that at the present time, Israel is holding approximately 5000 prisoners in 17 prisons and detention centres in harsh condition, and that the prisoners lack the minimum human rights stipulated in international law and human rights instruments. In particular, he pointed to the continued policy of medical neglect and abuse and physical and psychological torture.
83.5% of the detainees are from the West Bank, 8.7% from Gaza, and 7.8% from Jerusalem and Occupied Palestine ’48. Most prisoners are held in Negev, Eshel, Nafha, Ohla Kedar, Ramon, Gilboa, Shata, Ofer, Asqelan, Hadorim, Hasharon, Ramle, and Megiddo.
29.6% of prisoners are married, and 70.4% are single. There are 234 children, 15 women prisoners, 14 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and 153 administrative detainees. 51 of the child prisoners are under 16. Among the women prisoners, Lena Jarbouni has been held for over 11 years.
There are 537 prisoners serving one or several life sentences.
There are 103 prisoners who are “veteran prisoners,” held before the Oslo agreement, including 83 prisoners who have been held for 20 years, among them 24 who have been held for over 25 years. Karim Younes has been detaines for over 30 years.
Since 1967, 204 prisoners have died in occupation prisons due to torture, medical neglect, or beatings, the latest of which were Arafat Jaradat and Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh, in addition to hundreds of prisoners who died after their liberation from prison due to the impacts of torture and medical neglect.
Ferwana called on all Palestinians, national and Islamic forces and political parties and social institutions to activate and raise the level of their solidarity to befit the sacrifices of the prisoners, the role of their cause, and put an end to the violations committed against them on the road to freedom and liberation for all prisoners.
