Palestinian journalist Osama Shahin’s administrative detention extended for six months

29 June 2013

Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said on Wednesday, that the Israeli Supreme Court has rejected an appeal submitted by the journalist Osama Hussein Shahin, 31, for the second time without reasons.

The PPS confirmed that the court refused the prisoner’s appeal and approved its previous order to renew his administrative detention for more 6 additional months.

Shahin was arrested in October 2012 where he was administratively held for 6 months that were extended for 6 additional months.

Shahin was an activist in prisoners’ issue and the director of Palestine Center for Prisoners’ Studies. He spent 5 years in Israeli jails. He suffers many health problems most notably asthma.

The center considered Shahin’s arrest an Israeli systematic revenge against Palestinian human rights activists who seek to expose Israeli crimes.

Occupation forces confiscate Palestinian prisoner’s artwork

29 June 2013

nidal-fattash PNN reported that Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies and Human Rights condemned the confiscation of the prisoner Nidal Fattash’s artworks and drawings by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) in Meggido prison on June 28.

The IPS has interrogated and threatened Fattash, 23, from Salfit, to be moved into isolation due to his drawings, claiming that he keeps drawing the prison’s details in an attempt to escape from it, the prisoner’s mother told Ahrar Center.

The prisoner’s mother confirmed that her son’s drawings translate his suffering behind Israeli bars since his arrest in May 2012, saying that the confiscation of his drawings will not prevent him from completing his artwork.

Fattash aims to organize an exhibition of his drawings after his release to shed light on Palestinian prisoners’ plight, the mother added.

Fattash, a student at Faculty of Fine Arts at An-Najah National University, was sentenced to 15 months. He was arrested a few hours before his Graduation Project discussion, thus his mother discussed his Graduation Project instead of her son at the time.

Hearing adjourned in the case of hunger strikers Hareebat and Tabeesh

28 June 2013

On Thursday, June 27, Ma’an reported that a hearing was held in the occupation military court in Ofer in the cases of Adel Hareebat and Ayman Al-Tabeesh, administrative detainees held without charge or trial who have been hunger striking for 39 days as of June 30.

Despite their ill health, both attended the court hearing. Both are being held in the Ramle prison clinic at present. Jawad Boulos of the Palestinian Prisoners Society said that the Ofer court adjourned the hearing, saying that the Court of Appeal would call the occupation intelligence officers to hear their claims about the reasons for Hareebat and Tabeesh’s administrative detention. Boulos called for both to be released immediately, because they were detained for no reason.

Ayman Al-Tabeesh was previously held without charge or trial under administrative detention for three years, and Hareebat was imprisoned previously and released in 2008.

Ayman Hamdan, who has been on hunger strike since April 28, as well as Imad Batran, who has been on strike since May 7, both of whom are administrative detainees, were moved to the Assaf Soroka hospital from the Ramle prison clinic, also on June 27.

12 Palestinians seized by occupation soldiers throughout West Bank

28 June 2013

IMEMC reported on June 28, 2013 that twelve Palestinians were seized by Israeli occupation soldiers in a series of raids in the West Bank on Thursday evening and Friday morning:

Local sources in the Al-Mazra’a Ash-Sharqiyya village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, have reported that dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded the village, and kidnapped eight Palestinians.

The sources said that the army broke into several homes, and violently searched them before kidnapping eight residents.

The kidnapped have been identified as Bayan Azzam, Bilal Tawfiq I’jaaq, Imad Thameen Amer, Adel Samir Amer, Hakem Raed Shalaby, Samer Abdul-Qader Hijaz, Hisham Abdul-Qader Hijaz, and Adnan Ahmad Abu Alia.

All were cuffed, blindfolded and were moved to an unknown destination. Clashes have been reported during the invasion.

In related news, soldiers invaded the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, kidnapped one resident, and handed two other military variants ordering them to head to a nearby military base for interrogation.

The kidnapped resident has been identified as Mo’men Hafeth Seniora, 25, a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces, living in the Northern Neighborhood in the city.

Soldiers also invaded Jaba’ town, south of Jenin, and handed Hasan Suleiman Khaleeliyya, and Jaber Ahmad Kanaat, military warrants ordering them to head to the Salem military base for interrogation.

On Thursday evening, dozens of soldiers invaded the Al-Khader town, near Bethlehem, and kidnapped three Palestinians.

The army claimed uncovering sniper rifles, pistols, silencers and tear gas spray, the Radio Bethlehem 2000 reported.

Palestinian prisoner Awad al-Saidi launches hunger strike to protest solitary confinement

26 June 2013

Palestinian prisoner Awad Al-Saidi has gone on an open hunger strike protesting his solitary confinement, Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies and Human Rights revealed on June 26, 2013.

Director of Ahrar Center, Fuad Al-Khuffash, said in a statement Tuesday that Saidi has been on hunger strike for the second day demanding an end to his isolation, adding that he would only end his strike outside his isolation cell.

He said that Saidi was held in isolation after he retaliated to the Israeli jailors’ attack on detained Hamas leader Abbas Assayed by hitting an Israeli soldier in March 2012 and he has been in isolation since then.

Al-Khuffash asked human rights groups to back Saidi’s case, adding that Saidi turned down an Israeli offer to stop his strike in return for ending his isolation within two weeks.

Seven prisoners held in isolation in Eshel, PPS reports

25 June 2013

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society reported on June 25 that seven Palestinian prisoners are still held in isolation in the Israeli Eshel prison. Ending isolation was an agreement term of the conclusion of the prisoners’ Karameh hunger strike in 2012.

A lawyer with the Society reported that the conditions of these prisoners are very difficult, after visiting one of the isolated prisoners, Awad Al-Saidi, saying that cells are infested with cockroaches and prison meals are poor quality.

The lawyer also visited Dirar Abu Sisi, who has been held in isolation since his arrest in 2011. He said that Abu Sisi was suffering from health problems. The lawyer quoted Abu Sisi as saying that his cell was like a grave as he did not see a human being since his arrest except the jailors and knew nothing about the outside world. Abu Sisi was kidnapped by Israeli intelligence from the Ukraine in 2011; there is an international campaign to demand his freedom and the end of his isolation.

Abu Sisi called for immediate action to end his isolation and that of the other prisoners the soonest.

A third isolated prisoner, Mahmoud Zahran, told the lawyer that the prison administration extended his isolation in absentia and he is to attend another hearing on 2/10/2013.

Samer Issawi denied medical tests as medical neglect and abuse is rampant in occupation prisons

25 June 2013

The Israeli Prison Authority in Shatta prison refused to allow prisoner Samer Issawi, who went on the longest hunger strike in the world, to undergo medical tests to assess his current health condition as he continues to recuperate from his hunger strike.

Issawi told his lawyer that he submitted a request to have medical examinations, but no response yet from the prison administration. Issawi was quickly removed from the hospital following his strike and has repeatedly been denied additional medical attention in the past months.

In addition, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said on Sunday that prisoner Ahmed Khallouf, who has been in jail for nine years, suffers from a deteriorating health condition and needs urgent surgery. The society added that its lawyer visited Khallouf and conveyed his appeal to international human rights groups, especially the Red Cross, to intervene with the Israeli prison authority to allow him to undergo surgery on one of his foot.

According his brother Nidal, prisoner Khallouf suffers from an infection, a painful swelling in his left foot and a constant fever, and needs surgery to treat the inflamed foot as prescribed by doctors. He stated that the Israeli prison administration is reluctant to provide his brother with proper medical treatment and allow him to have the surgery.

Prisoners in Askelan have been refusing treatment in the prison clinic since Sunday due to consistent medical neglect and maltreatment in the prison, reporting that there are over 30 ill prisoners in the prison including Fuad Shobaki, who suffers from a number of health issues, including high blood pressure, hemorrhoids and tooth pain, yet is denied all medical treatment.

Palestinian prisoner Adnan Hanath released after 6 years in occupation prisons

25 June 2013

The Mohja Jerusalem Foundation reported that the Israeli occupation authorities released Adnan Mohammed Hanath after he completed his sentence of 6 years and 8 months. Adnan Hanath is an activist with Islamic Jihad, who had been held in Nafha prison. He was sentenced for his affiliation to Islamic Jihad and participation in the resistance after being captured on October 24, 2006. Hanath is 24 years old, born on December 24, 1988.

Ahrar: Administrative detention of Ibrahim Suweiti renewed for third time

25 June 2013

Israeli occupation authorities renewed the administrative detention of prisoner Ibrahim Suweiti, 35, from Hebron, for the third 6-month period in a row on June 24, reported Fuad Khuffash of Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies and Human Rights.

Suweiti has been held in administrative detention since June 8, 2012, without charge or trial and subject to a “secret file.” Khuffash said, “Despite Suweiti’s health – he suffers from chest pain and difficulty breathing and has been transferred several times to the hospital, the occupation refuses to release him and he is transferred from one prison to another while held on a secret file.”

12 Palestinians in the West Bank abducted including 2 children from Al-Ram

25 June 2013

The Palestinian Information Centre reported that the occupation forces have stormed at early hours on Monday Nablus and Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank, where 5 Palestinians were arrested after raiding and searching their houses.

Meanwhile 7 other Palestinians were arrested in other areas in occupied West Bank.

Local sources reported that huge military troops violently stormed the old city of Nablus in the morning and arrested Fadi Abu Sharekh and Muntaser Akoba, in addition to Qassam Eshtayeh, 24, from Salem town east of Nablus.

Adel Shalabi and Tahir Nawahda, from Jenin, were also arrested after searching their houses. Other citizens were investigated amid intensive fire of stun grenades.

The Hebrew radio stated that the Israeli forces arrested, on Monday, 12 Palestinians from the West Bank accused of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails in several cities in West Bank at Israeli army forces and settlers.

In Al-Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem, two children, identified as Tareq Dweik and Yazan Az-Zarou, were abducted by occupation soldiers as dozens of soldiers invaded the town, and clashed with local youths who hurled stones at them.

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