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| Human Rights |
| courtesy The Electronic Intifada |
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Vermonters
for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel |
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The
Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees by Israel and Others |
Prisoners Archive - May 2006
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Israeli soldiers torture Palestinians at Jit Checkpoint in eastern Qalqilia: ambulances arrive while women try to intervene Palestine News Network 5/31/2006 Israeli soldiers tortured Palestinians waiting to pass through Jit Checkpoint in eastern Qalqilia last night, not leaving alone the handicapped man with them. The beatings were described as “intense” and “long-lasting. ” A photographer, who gave only his first name, Mohammad, was at the Jit Checkpoint, 20 kilometers east of Qalqilia. He told PNN, “I came to photograph what was happening along with several journalists. I saw Israeli soldiers beating young men, injuring one severely in the head and another beating him in the back. The soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching the severely injured who were on the ground. The only possibility was for medics to walk bandages from the ambulance. ” Arrests in Hebron, including 15 year old tenth grader Palestine News Network 5/31/2006 Israeli forces took several Palestinians from the western and southern Hebron District. Israeli soldiers claimed to find a mortar shell while searching a number of homes in Bani Naim Village east of Hebron in the southern West Bank. Official sources in the Palestinian Prisoner Society in Hebron reported that Israeli forces stationed at Junction Crossing west of Hebron, connecting Hebron to the Gaza Strip, made the arrests yesterday evening. The crossing is closed to Palestinians who cannot travel between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Nonetheless, Israeli soldiers took 15 year old Raj Al Battat Mohammad to an unknown location. The tenth grader was on his way to visit his brother, a political prisoner in the Israeli Askelon jail. PLO Executive Committee member states that referendum does not affect legitimacy of Palestinian government or presidency Ma'an News 5/31/2006 Salfit-Ma'an-PLO Executive Committee member, Ghassan Ash-Shak'ah, has said that the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' suggestion to hold a referendum on the prisoners' national accord document does not affect the legitimacy of the Palestinian government nor of the Palestinian presidency. Ash-Shak'ah added "it is not a coup against the government but a return to the citizens so that they can decide the policies that the presidency and the government should follow, and that is a legitimate right of the citizen". He confirmed that this document does not call on any party to recognise Israel as such agreements took place with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). Israeli prison administration disallowing lawyers to meet with beaten Palestinian political prisoners in Al Damoun Prison Palestine News Network 5/30/2006 The Prisoner Support Society reported Tuesday morning that political prisoners in Israeli Al Damoun Prison are being attacked. Israeli guards attacked several Palestinians in the prison atop the Karmal Mountain. Injuries are reported as “numerous. ” The attacks are part and parcel of the Israeli policy of repression and mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners in its jails. This is not the first report in piles of documentation outlining violations of the most basic human rights. The Prisoner Support Society stated that two Palestinians, Theana from Jenin and Mohammad from Salfit, both cities in the northern West Bank, suffered beatings at the hands of Israeli prison officials leaving them near death yesterday. Faruq Qaddumi to Asharq Alawsat: What’s the Use of Contacts with Israel If It Doesn’t Recognize Us as Partner? By Razzuq al Ghawi, Palestine Media Center/Asharq Al-Awsat 5/31/2006 Interview with the PLO's Faruq Qaddumi -- (Asharq Al-Awsat) What are your thoughts on the Prisoners' Initiative to resolve the problem between Fatah and Hamas? (Qaddumi) It is good. It is a clear proof that the Palestinian people yearn for unity. This is an appeal to all to unite because unity is the road to liberation. (Asharq Al-Awsat) The Fatah movement is accused of putting pressure on the Hamas-led government. What is your opinion? (Qaddumi) I am the secretary of the Fatah Central Committee and the overwhelming majority in the movement cooperates with Hamas. If they make a mistake, we tell them in a friendly manner and a national spirit that they made a mistake. If they follow the right path, we support them... Woman Islamist fights for rights in Oman Middle East Online 5/29/2006 Mawali unafraid to say what she thinks in country where any criticism of authorities is considered heresy. -- For an Omani, Taiba al-Mawali is a very unusual woman. She is a militant human rights activist, unafraid to say what she thinks in a country where any criticism of the authorities is considered heresy. "I always say what I think is good for the country - and they don't like it," the former teacher and official radio journalist said in an interview. A fervent Islamist, Mawali dresses in black from head to toe with only her face showing. The 42-year-old has paid dearly for her beliefs - she spent six months in prison for criticising the trial last year of 31 Islamists for having "plotted the overthrow of the government by force of arms... by forming an illegal underground organisation. " Sit-in in Ramallah in protest against the delayed salaries Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Ramallah-Ma'an-The Union of Governmental Workers and a number of Prisoners' families organized a sit-in on Tuesday afternoon in front of the Cabinet headquarters in Ramallah in protest against the delay in paying public sector employees' salaries. In a statement, the Union called on the Palestinian government to fulfill its responsibilities in terms of paying the employees' salaries, stopping the phenomenon of begging using the name of the employees and committing to the promises to pay the salaries. The Union also called on the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) to include the salaries' issue in the PLC's agenda. The strikers called on the government to resign if it is unable to carry out its tasks or fulfill its promises as laid out in its election manifesto. [end] Abu Zuhri refutes Prisoners' National Accord document Ma'an News 5/29/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The spokesman for the Hamas Movement, Sami Abu Zuhri, has rejected claims made in a statement that is being attributed to prisoners who belong to the Hamas movement. The statement claims that members of the Hamas movement who are in Israeli prisons have expressed their support for the Prisoners' National Accord Document that was presented at the national dialogue conference. In a statement, Abu Zuhri said, "We have made contact with the prisoners and they confirmed that they do not have anything to do with this statement and rejected its' contents. " Abu Zuhri called on the mass media to reject this statement and described it as hidden and completely false. Daughter of Hamas PM detained for trying to visit prison with fake ID Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 The 17-year-old daughter of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was detained on Monday in southern Israel after trying to visit a prison with a fake identity card. Kawla Haniyeh was stopped as she tried to enter Eshel prison to visit a prisoner in the complex, said Prisons Service spokeswoman Orit Steltzer. She had entered Israel from the Gaza Strip as part of regular visits Israel allows for family members of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel. Haniyeh, a leader of the militant Islamic Hamas, took office in March as the Palestinian prime minister after Hamas won a January parliamentary election. The father of 13 has not commented on his daughter's detention. Families: We want to visit our sons and relatives in Israeli jails Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Salfit-Ma'an-Families of prisoners in Nablus appealed to the Red Cross Society and Humanitarian and Human Rights' Organizations to work to get permission for them to visit their sons and relatives in the Ofer jail, saying that they are constantly being denied visits. The appeal was made on Monday during a weekly sit-in held by the families of prisoners outside the Red Cross offices. The families said that they they have not been allowed to visit their sons for the last two months, with the jail authorities citing flimsy reasons for their refusal to allow visits. The families said that prison authorities denied them permission to visit their sons and relatives for the first visit. The authorities denied them another visit when they tried for a second time, saying that residents of Nablus are living under military control. [end] Amnesty: Microsoft helped Israeli Police in Vanunu probe YNet News 5/28/2006 Human rights group says company complied with request by Israel police to hand over information on nuclear whistleblower -- Amnesty International's British branch chief, Keith Allen, said Microsoft helped Israeli Police interrogate Mordechai Vanunu, who leaked nuclear secrets to the foreign press. Allen, writing in the British Sunday newspaper, the Observer, wrote: "Amnesty is concerned about its co-operation with the Israeli authorities in prosecuting nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu for communicating with foreign journalists. Vanunu was imprisoned for more than 18 years... and only released on condition he stays in Israel and does not talk to foreigners. Microsoft is reported to have complied with government demands for his computer records, which could lead to him being sent back to prison. " Rights group: Gov't official violated pledge to foreign workers Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 The director of the Foreign Workers' Enforcement Unit, Yossi Edelstein, violated commitments he made to detained foreign workers who lost their legal status after last summer's disengagement from the Gaza Strip, according to Kav La'Oved, the Worker's Hotline for the Protection of Workers' Rights. The organization recently demanded that the Population Administration, which oversees the enforcement unit, remove Edelstein from his post. About two weeks ago, Edelstein said in the presence of Sharon Bavli-Lary, an adjudicator at Masiyahu Prison (whose authority is equivalent to that of a judge), that he would find legal employment for six Nepali workers who lost their work permits after the disengagement and were caught by the Immigration Police. Haniyeh's daughter detained in Israel YNet News 5/29/2006 Palestinian prime minister's daughter attempts to enter Eshel Prison in southern city of Be'er Sheva in order to meet with fiancé -- The daughter of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh attempted to enter the Eshel Prison in the south using the identity card of another woman in a bid to meet her fiancé who is a prisoner there. Haola Haniyeh was arrested and taken into interrogation, and it is believed a criminal file will be opened against her due to the use of a false identity. She was later released and transferred to the Erez Crossing, from where she was to be taken to the Palestinian Authority. In the afternoon hours, Ismail Haniyeh's 18-year-old daughter arrived on a bus carrying family members of prisoners to the jail in Be'er Sheva. Hamas split on prisoners' proposal By Khalid Amayreh, AlJazeera 5/29/2006 Hamas is reportedly divided over a national consensus programme contained in a document drafted recently by the leaders of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The document stipulates the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital and calls for repatriation of refugees following UN resolution 149. Sources close to the movement in the Gaza Strip told Aljazeera. net that many Hamas leaders in the West Bank as well as a "significant number of Hamas leaders" in Israeli prisons support the document, while the movement's "hardcore leadership" in the Gaza Strip was "suspicious about it". Ghazi Hamed, the government spokesman, acknowledged in an interview that "certain differences of opinion exist". However, he added that more discussion was needed to assess the document. Abu Zuhri: Factions are being pressurised to accept prisoner's document Ma'an News 5/28/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The spokesman for the Hamas Movement, Sami Abu Zuhri, has said that Palestinian factions have been pressurised to accept the prisoners' document that was drawn up by prisoners in the Hadarim jail. He said that some of the issues in the document present prisoners radical problems. In a media statement, Abu Zuhri added, "After the idea of the referendum was brought up by the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, Yasir Abid Rabbu who describes himself as the representative of the president, called us to say that President Abbas will continue to keep the government in isolation if Hamas refuses to accept the prisoners' document. " MK Ayalon: Abbas ultimatum could foster talks YNet News 5/27/2006 MK Ayalon: Abbas' ultimatum for Hamas to accept peace talks could force Israel to abandon unilateral realignment plan -- Labor MK Ami Ayalon said Saturday that should the Palestinians endorse a proposal for establishing a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders in a referendum, Israel would have to consider holding negotiations with President Mahmoud Abbas rather than demarcating its borders unilaterally. "If in two months we have a situation where Abu Mazen has a mandate from the Palestinian public to hold peace negotiations based on the prisoners' plan, and maybe have a Hamas-Fatah national unity government, I believe … this will be the end of the age of unilateral policies," Ayalon told Ynet after talks with President Mahmoud Abbas and senior Fatah officials in Ramallah. Haniyeh: Fatah, Hamas closer to deal than you think Ha'aretz 5/26/2006 Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that he would hold a national referendum on a document calling for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, should the ruling Hamas party fail to agree to the proposal within 10 days. The referendum would ask Palestinians to either accept or reject the five-page paper drafted earlier this month by senior Palestinian militants jailed in Israel. It calls for a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, the areas Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. The plan was negotiated by leading prisoners from Hamas and Fatah over the period of four weeks at Hadarim Prison, where top Fatah prisoner Marwan Barghouti is being held. The National Dialogue is underway Palestine News Network 5/25/2006 Both Fateh and Hamas welcomed today’s national dialogue. Even Abu Sukar, the former longest Palestinian political prisoner in Israeli jail, is on the stage, with former Director of the Palestinian Prisoner Society and current PLC member, Issa Qaraqa, in the audience, and Dr. Hannan Ashrawi as MC in Ramallah. Due to the inability to travel between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, half of the attendees are present via video conference. Prime Minister Ismail Haniya opened the Gaza side of the conference just before noon. Abu Sukar, Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, President Abbas and other speakers focused on on the basic common point -- stopping internal conflict. But there seems to be little true clarity amongst them as the meeting is being held via video conference... PA factions consider Abbas' ultimatum YNet News 5/26/2006 Some senior Hamas members have accepted the plan, although many others categorically reject it; Hamas represertative: Abbas' proposal will negatively affect continuation of dialogue -- After recovering from the initial shock of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' 10-day ultimatum Thursday, the Palestinian factions are beginning to contemplate his demand to present a set of principles accepting the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders as official PA policy. The principles were drafted by jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, along with Hamas security prisoners serving with him in the Israeli jail Hadarim. Hamas spokesman astonished by Abbas' threat of a referendum Ma'an News 5/25/2006 Jerusalem-Ma'an-Spokesman for the Hamas Block in the PLC, Dr. Salah Bardawil, has expressed his astonishment and amazement at the suggestion made by Mahmoud Abbas in regard to the referendum. Speaking to the Ma'an correspondent in Jerusalem, Bardawil said, "This [statement] is not convenient for us as it means that the dialogue is preconditioned". He added, "If we reach the end of the dialogue and we have not agreed on an initiative in terms of the prisoners, will that lead us to a referendum? "The spokesman added that this initiative is one of many which will be discussed in the conference, but it is not the only one. Two Palestinian prisoners have their sentences reduced Ma'an News 5/25/2006 Qalqilia–Ma'an-The organization Palestinian Prisoners' Society in Qalqilia has resported that the Israeli appeal court in Ofer has reduced the sentence of two Palestinian prisoners from Qalqilia. Talal Albaz' life sentence was reduced to 23 years and Yasser Oadah's sentence of 22 years was reduced to 14 years. Both prisoners were accused by the Israeli authorities of being Hamas members and other "security charges. [end] Female prisoner claims she was sexually harassed and forced to run in the rain in Israeli prison Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Bethlehem- Ma'an-According to a lawyer from the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS), female prisoner Tharwat Hamdan, 27, from Nablus, who was arrested on 1 April 2006, has claimed that she was harshly tortured and sexually harassed and threatened with rape when undergoing interrogation by Israeli intelligence to force her to confess and admit the charges. In her testimony to the lawyer, Hamdan said that after she was arrested from her home, she was handcuffed and blindfolded. Then she was taken to her aunt's house where the Israeli forces arrested her cousin Khetam and took both girls to the Huwwara jail. She said that many other Palestinian females were arrested that night. In the jail, she was strip-searched by the Israeli soldiers. Four Palestinians killed, 35 hurt in gunbattle with IDF in Ramallah Ha'aretz 5/24/2006 Four Palestinians were killed and 36 others were wounded Wednesday in fierce gunbattles between Israel Defense Forces soldiers and Palestinians in Ramallah on Wednesday. The clashes erupted when troops entered the West Bank city to arrest militants, Palestinian security officials said. Israel Radio reported that undercover troops from the elite Duvdevan unit arrested a member of the militant Islamic Jihad organization in the city. The detainee was later named as Mohammed Shubaki from the West Bank city of Qalqilyah. Islamic Jihad, in a telephone call to The Associated Press, confirmed the arrest, and Palestinian officials said five militants in total were arrested. Shubaki's family said he was released from an Israeli prison last year after serving 20 months of a 20-year sentence. Prisoners' Committee protests in Tulkarem Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Tulkarem-Ma'an-The Prisoners Committee in the Tulkarem Governorate held a sit-in at the headquarters of the Tulkaem Governorate to show solidarity to prisoners in Israeli jails and to call for national unity. A memorandum of understanding will be signed by all of the Palestinian factions at the protest, which calls for a commitment to national unity, the rejection of disagreements and the fight against corruption and lawlessness. The document will be called the "Tulkarem honor document. [end] Open invitation to join demo on Thursday in Gaza to say "Yes" to dialogue Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Prisoners' Supporters Organization has invited all Palestinian citizens to join them for a large public gathering in front of the PLC headquarters in Gaza City at 11:00 am on Thursday to say loudly "yes" to national dialogue and to call on the political leaders to reinforce the dialogue. [end] U.S. deports Palestinian man after Florida Islamic Jihad trial Ha'aretz 5/25/2006 TAMPA, Florida - A co-defendant who was acquitted of all charges in the Florida terrorism trial of former college professor Sami al-Arian has been deported to the Palestinian territories, a U.S. official said on Wednesday. Federal agents took Sameeh Hammoudeh from a prison near Tampa on Monday and escorted him to Ramallah in the West Bank. He had agreed to be deported after pleading guilty to a separate tax fraud charge. "The order of deportation has been carried out. Sameeh Hammoudeh is in Palestinian territory," said Barbara Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Arrests in Bethlehem include assassination survivor Radi Safi Ma'an News 5/23/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an-Israeli Forces carried out early on Tuesday morning an extensive arrest campaign in the Bethlehem governorate: seven Palestinian citizens were arrested and Israeli forces broke into several houses in the governorate. The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that the Israeli forces arrested Radi Safi, 40, from Ad-Duha. Safi survived an assassination attempt in June 2000 in Bethlehem when he was critically injured. The Society clarified that Safi was arrested on 22/6/2000 and transferred to the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital where he underwent several surgical operations to remove part of his pancreas, his kidneys and a part of his stomach and intestines. [end] Protests in Jenin against lack of salaries for prisoners and workers; prisoners' affairs office closed by the protestors Ma'an News 5/23/2006 Jenin-Ma'an-A number of Palestinian citizens and prisoners' families closed the prisoners' affairs office in the city of Jenin on Tuesday protesting against the fact that their sons have not received their financial allowances. Also in Jenin, a group of citizens and workers threatened to close the labor office in the city in protest against the delay in paying their salaries and against the difficult economic situation that they live in. The manager of the labor office, Ahmad Daraghmah, told the Ma'an correspondent that about 50 citizens came to the office requesting the office be closed. [end] Prisoners call for unity Ma'an News 5/23/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an-Palestinian prisoners in the Shattah jail have complained of very bad conditions inside the jail and the refusal of the authorities to provide medical treatment for them or to transfer the seriously ill to hospitals. Palestine Prisoner's Society lawyer, Raed Mahamid, said that he was told by the prisoners on Monday that many of them have dental problems and other sicknesses but the authorities have refused to providemedical care. The prisoners called for Abbas to solve the problem of non-payment of salaries as they had not been paid for three months. They also called on Palestinian universities to facilitate their distance study programs to that they can continue to study while they are imprisoned. Nablus Prisoners Commission will not give up on freeing political prisoners from Israeli jails Palestine News Network 5/23/2006 The Prisoners Commission in the Nablus District pledged Tuesday to continue to give the issue of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails the import it deserves. The Commission called on international human rights institutions to intervene in applying international law, which gives legal, political, and social rights for political prisoners’ paramount importance. During Tuesday’s meeting the Prisoners Commission stressed that prisoners are at the top of the list of national issues which are all in conjunction with international law. The list also includes the Right of Return, self-determination, and a free and independent state, with Jerusalem its capital. Amnesty details Arab-Western torture 'collaboration' The Daily Star 5/24/2006 Growing evidence has emerged of a secret prison partnership between Western and Middle Eastern countries in the "war on terror," resulting in widespread human rights abuses, Amnesty International said Tuesday. The London-based human rights group took British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government to task for its security crackdown following the July 7, 2005 attacks in London. Measures purporting to counter terrorism led to serious human rights violations, and concern was widespread about the impact of these measures on Muslims and other minority communities," the report said. "The (British) government continued to erode fundamental human rights, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary... " Moderate voices vie for clout within Hamas Christian Science Monitor 5/19/2006 A recent poll shows most Palestinians prefer negotiation with Israel to letting it act unilaterally. -- GAZA CITY, GAZA – When imprisoned Palestinians from both Hamas and Fatah last week issued a joint platform that calls for a Palestinian state with the "1967 boundaries," Hamas was caught off guard. Leaders of Hamas, the Islamic militantorganization-cum-political party now at the helm of the Palestinian Authority, have said that they will not recognize Israel or endorse a two-state solution - and the prison statement implied something quite the contrary. Reactions from the Hamas leadership ran the gamut. Several Hamas spokesman were quick to insist that the letter didn't explicitly indicate support for a two-state solution, while others said Hamas is open to negotiation and will follow the will of the people. Israeli administration continues to hold University lecturer without charge or trial Palestine News Network 5/22/2006 A lecturer at the An Najah University in Nablus, Dr. Salim Mohammad Ghazal, is a political prisoner in Israeli jail. Israeli forces first imprisoned the northern West Bank Nablus resident during their sweep campaign against members of the Hamas political party during Municipal elections campaigning in 2005. An Israeli military court extended his Administrative Detention sentence 11 days before his trial proceedings, which marked the end of his Administration Detention, a policy that does not require charge or trial. Lawyer and Director of the Foundation for International Solidarity for Human Rights, Faris Abu Hassan, said Monday, “The judges have decided to extend the detention without specifying the reason for the indictment... " 2 PLC members and 1 government minister released from "Al Muskubiyah" in Jerusalem after interrogati Ma'an News 5/22/2006 Jerusalem-Ma'an-The Israeli police released two PLC members, Muhammad Abu Tair and Ahmad Attoun, and the Minister of State Affairs, Dr. Khaled Abu Arafa, after interrogating them at the "Al Muskubiyah" prison in the city of Jerusalem for several hours, and preventing them from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City for two weeks. The Ma'an correspondent reported that, according to Israeli security sources, the two parliamentary members and the minister were arrested on charges of organizing a campaign on the mosque's esplanade last Friday. The Israeli police delivered on Monday morning official orders to the Palestinian politicians requesting their presence at to the aforesaid prison for interrogation. [end] Police detains three Hamas lawmakers in Jerusalem Ha'aretz 5/22/2006 Police on Monday detained three Hamas lawmakers, saying the men participated in an illegal demonstration at the Temple Mount. Police said Mohammed Abu Tir, Ahmed Abu Atoun and Khaled Abu Arafa were taken to a Jerusalem prison for questioning. The men are all residents of the Jerusalem area, and Abu Arafa is Hamas' minister for Jerusalem affairs. Abu Arafa said he was ordered out of his house around 6 A. M. and questioned by police for several hours. He said he was accused of organizing last Friday's demonstration, in which people were asked to donate money to the cash-strapped Hamas government. He said police barred him from entering the holy site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, for two weeks. Audio Interview: Palestinian Children in Israeli Jails By Stefan Christoff, Electronic Intifada 5/20/2006 Listen to an interview with Ayed Abu Eqtaish, a child rights activist from Defense for Children International [Palestine Section] and Adam Hanieh of Sumoud, a political prisoner solidarity group based in Toronto. This interview was recorded during the April/May 2006 second annual Free Palestinian Political Prisoners speaking tour organized by Sumoud, which focused on the realities facing Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, specifically child prisoners. Defense for Children International, is a Palestinian NGO 'dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza Strip - as articulated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child'. -- To listen to/download the interview click here [MP3 format, 22.2MB] Dichter: We beat terror, now we must fight societal violence Ha'aretz 5/23/2006 Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said Monday that the burgeoning phenomenon of violence in Israeli society would be defeated just as Palestinian terrorism was defeated. Two hundred fifty people have been stabbed in Israel since the beginning of 2006 - an average of 14 stabbing incidents every single week, according to data presented by Dichter, the former head of the Shin Bet security service, during a special Knesset session dealing with the growing violence in Israeli society. According to Dichter, 10 percent of stabbing attacks occur at places of entertainment, mostly during the weekends. "The roles of the police and the Prisons Service has now become critical," Dichter said. British citizen arrested on charges of smuggling money to Hamas Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an-Israeli sources have reported that the Israeli forces arrested a British citizen 8 days ago accusing him of smuggling money to the Hamas Movement. The sources added that the British citizen, Ali Ayaz, was transported to one of the Israeli investigation centers in Jerusalem. A spokesperson for the UK Consulate in Jerusalem confirmed the news and said that the consulate has assigned a lawyer to defend the man and said that the citizen was visited by representatives of the consulate in prison. Israeli official sources said that Ali Ayaz's involvement was not yet proven but the investigation continue. [end] Abbas orders probe into Hamas official caught with 500,000 euro Ha'aretz 5/20/2006 Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas ordered a criminal investigation Friday, after Palestinian border officials confiscated more than 500,000 euros from Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri at Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt. According to Hamas government spokesman Razi Hamad, the money was intended to serve as relief for the Palestinian people and prisoners. The amount of money confiscated is estimated to exceed 500,000 euros, however no official report has specified the exact amount. Hamas gunmen immediately rushed to the Rafah terminal, which is guarded by Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' guard, raising fears of a fresh clash between rival forces. Family of prisoners: Prisoner father allowed to vist imprisoned wife, Samar, and newborn child, Bara'a Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Ramallah-Ma'an-The Israeli authorities allowed the Palestinian prisoner, Rasmi Subeih, on Thursday to visit his captive wife, Samar Subeih and son Bara'a who was born in jail just a few days ago. Bara'a and his mother, Samar, are being held in Talmund jail under difficult circumstance. [end] EU criticises Syria on detentions BBC 5/19/2006 The European Union has said it is deeply concerned about what it called the recent widespread harassment of human rights defenders in Syria. A statement said the situation was deteriorating, and human rights defenders faced arrest and repeated detention in solitary confinement. It urged Syria to review the cases of political prisoners, and immediately release all "prisoners of conscience". There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government. At least nine people have been detained in the past few days in what correspondents say is a campaign against dissidents. Guantanamo detainees ambush guards AlJazeera 5/20/2006 The US holds about 460 suspects in the camp -- Six prisoners have been injured at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after battling guards with makeshift weapons. Military officials said on Friday that the clash erupted on Thursday, the same day two detainees attempted suicide in other parts of the camp. The battle was one of the most violent incidents reported at the isolated prison, where the US holds about 460 men suspected of links to al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Most of the detainees have been held for more than four years without charge. Navy Rear Admiral Harry Harris, the prison's commanding officer, said: "This illustrates to me the dangerous nature of the men we have detained here. " US 'should shut secret jails' AlJazeera 5/19/2006 The United States should close its Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba and its secret prisons across the world, the UN says. The UN Committee against Torture said on Friday it was concerned that detainees in Guantanamo were being held for long periods with inadequate legal protection. It also said that detaining people in secret prisons was a violation of the UN convention against torture. "The state party should ensure that no one is detained in any secret detention facility under its de facto effective control," the panel said. "It should investigate and disclose the existence of any such facilities and the authority under which they have been established and the manner in which detainees are treated. Palestinian armed men open fire, force PA official to halt meeting International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 A group of Palestinian armed men opened fire on Thursday morning at Governorate building in Tulkarem city in the northern West Bank, where deputy Prime Minister Nasser Eddin El-Sha'er was holding meetings with the some PA officials, Palestinian sources reported. Ten armed men, said to be members of Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigade, the armed wing of the former ruling Fatah party, accompanied by scores families of prisoners arrived at the governorate to protest against not paying the monthly stipend for the prisoners for more than two months. Al-Sha'er who also occupies the Ministry of Education told the crowd that the money will be paid soon. "I, responsively announce that within one week the money due to the prisoners families will be fully paid," Al-Shaer said. Officials: Israeli authorities holding British security suspect Ha'aretz 5/18/2006 Israeli authorities have detained a British citizen and are holding him for questioning on a security-related matter, Israeli and British officials said Thursday. Karen Kaufman, spokeswoman for the British Embassy in Israel, confirmed to Haaretz on Thursday that Ayez Ali was arrested on May 9, and British diplomats have had access to him in prison custody and have attended remand hearings in court wherever possible. Some of the court hearings have been held in camera, Kaufman said. She could say only that he has not been charged with any offense, but has legal representation. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity as investigations are ongoing, said Ali was being held on security grounds. Guantanamo inmates sent to Saudi AlJazeera 5/19/2006 Around 460 prisoners remain in the Guantanamo Bay camp -- Fifteen Saudi prisoners, detained in the US Guantanamo Bay prison camp, have been repatriated after an agreement over their treatment was reached with Riyadh, the Pentagon said. US officials said they agreed to the move after the Saudis gave assurances that the men would not be mistreated or allowed to become involved in "terrorism. " "We were able to assure ourselves that if these people were returned to Saudi Arabia that they wouldn't be tortured and they would be treated humanely," said Sean McCormack, a state department spokesman. "They'll be under the control of the Saudi government. " Saudi detainee suffering bad health conditions in Israeli prisons International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 Detainee Abdul-Rahman Al Otewy, appealed humanitarian organizations to interfere for his release from Israeli prisons and transfer him to “anywhere in the world” since he is suffering a sever deterioration of his health condition and is conducting repeated hunger strikes in protest to the bad living conditions he faces. Al Otewy is suffering from sight problems and problems in his body balance. Lawyer of the Mandela Institute, Bothaina Doqmaq, visited Al Otewy and several other detainees in Al Ramla detention facility and prison hospital. Doqmaq reported that Al Otewy was recently under surgery for hernia. While he was transferred to the hospital, he was attacked and beaten by soldiers of the Nahshoun brigade. Tent caught on fire at Ofer detention facility International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2006 Palestinian detainees in Ofer Israeli detention facility, west of Ramallah, reported that one tent caught fire in the youngsters section at the Benjamin Israeli detention facility; the causes of the fire remained unknown, no injuries were reported. One of the tents at the facility caught fire while ten young detainees were sleeping there, but no further information was revealed as a result of the Israeli policy of total isolation of its prisons and detention facilities. Prison administration informed the representatives of the detainees that no injuries were reported, but rejected a request by them to go to the youth section to checkup on the conditions there. [end] Former Arafat aide: He purchased arms with Israeli money YNet News 5/17/2006 Former PA security funds manager Fuad Shubaki says during "interrogation" that PA funded terrorist cells that operated against Israel; also revealed: Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hizbullah coordinated Karine A arms ship with senior PA senior -- Former PA chairman Yasser Arafat purchased arms worth millions of dollars transferred to the PA by Israel and the international community, an interrogation of a PA security funds manager, Fuad Shubaki, has found. Shubaki was taken for questioning by the Shin Bet on March 14 after being apprehended in an IDF operation in the Jericho prison, where he was imprisoned under international supervision since May 2002. Israeli Forces arrest disabled man (23) Ma'an News 5/16/2006 Hebron-Ma'an-Israeli Forces have arrested a disabled Palestinian, Ashraf Abu Dhrea (23) from the town of Beit Aw'wah in the Hebron Governorate. Abu Dhrea is physically disabled and uses an electronic chair to move around. The Prisoner's Society reported that Israeli Forces broke into Abu Dhrea’s house early on Tuesday morning and arrested him. They also blew up his electronic chair claiming that it contains explosives. The Society called for the release of Abu Dhrea because of his health status and appealed to humanitarian organizations to intervene to secure his release. [end] Families of prisoners demand their release Ma'an News 5/16/2006 Tulkarem– Ma'an-Dozens of families of Palestinian prisoners participated in the weekly sit-in protest in front of the ICRC in Tulkarem to show solidarity with their family members' in Israeli jails. The participants raised posters, slogans and photos of their imprisoned relatives and called for an improving in the conditions under which they are imprisoned and for their release. Mothers of prisoners and other family members who have been able to visit their relatives in jails spoke about the deplorable conditions in Israeli jails and the lack of medical care for prisoners. The families called for the Palestinian Authority and the government to pay more attention to the situation facing prisoners and to work to have them released from Israeli jails. [end] Prisoners' Supporters Organization stress right of return on Nakba Day Ma'an News 5/15/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-On the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the Nakba, the Prisoners' Supporters Organization confirmed the necessity of sticking to the right of return, rejecting the disagreements and confirming one's national identity. The organization highlighted the need for the organization to develop its actions that serve the Palestinian issue and also called for the implementation of the international decision to support the Palestinian refugees' right of return and of self-determination. [end] Palestinian political prisoners in Israel to donate monthly allowances to cash-strapped P.A. International Middle East Media Center 5/14/2006 Hundreds of Palestinian captives in Israeli jails announced Saturday that they are about to declare an initiative to donate their monthly allowance to support their elected government, the Palestinian Authority (P. A. ) and their people. According to the prisoners' spokespeople, this will be a symbolic gesture to express Palestinian unity in the face of the oppressive siege imposed upon them by the USA and Israel with the aim of making Palestinians bow to their dictates. Messages smuggled from Hadarim and Nafha prisons revealed that the Palestinian captives are having consultations to reach a united stand before beginning this action. The prisoners' action coincides with the third week of a hunger strike being carried out by several prominent Palestinian activists and writers in Jenin which is also meant to encourage Palestinian national unity... Hamas to mull the National Reconciliation Document International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2006 Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas responded publicly for the first time on Sunday to the "national reconciliation" drafted last week by Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti and Sheikh Abdel Halek Natshe of Hamas. The document, which was hammered in Israeli jail Hadarim, calls for accepting to give up 78 percent of the Historic Palestine, pre-1948 and to establish a Palestinian state on the land occupied in 1967 as well as the agreements signed previously by the Palestinian Authority with Israel and the international community. "The document was drafted in Hadarim Prison, and the other prisons are not a party to it and therefore it must be studied further, but it contains worthy principles to which agreement is possible," Haniyeh said... Jerusalem Center for Women condems the discriminative decision taken by Israel court in regard to the "unification law" Ma'an News 5/15/2006 Jerusalem- Ma'an- The Jerusalem Center for Women has condemned the Israeli High Court of Justice's decision taken on Sunday to ban the unification of Arab Israeli spouses with their spouses from the Palestinian territories. In a statement issued on Monday, the Center said that this decision reminds them of a decision taken by the same court several years ago which legalized the torturing of Palestinian prisoners. The Center added that this decision is "one of the most racist decisions taken by the Israeli court and it will affect the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinian families". The Center called for human rights organizations and societies to intervene to revoke the decision. [end] Army arrests two Hebron residents International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2006 Monday at dawn, the Israeli army invaded various neighborhoods across the West Bank city of Hebron, and conducted wide scale searches resulting in the arrest of two residents. Official sources at the Hebron Palestinian Prisoner's society reported that Israeli soldiers broke into several houses in the neighborhoods of Daheyat Al-Zaytun and Al-Husien south as well as in the city center. They arrested Abdel Haleem Mohamad Al Zeer ,34, and Nathmee Atef AlSharabati,28, who works for the Palestinian military intelligence. [end] Pentagon Releases Gitmo Detainees' Names The Guardian 5/17/2006 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - The Pentagon gave The Associated Press on Monday the first list of everyone who has been held at Guantanamo Bay, more than four years after it opened the detention center in Cuba. But none of the most notorious terrorist suspects were included, raising questions about where America's most dangerous prisoners are being held. The handover marks the first time that everyone who has been held at Guantanamo Bay in the Bush administration's war on terror has been identified, according to Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chito Peppler. A total 201 of the names have never been disclosed by the Defense Department before. Mashaal: Hamas, Fatah should unite YNet News 5/12/2006 Hamas politburo chief calls on rivaling Palestinian factions to join forces against Israel. 'Save your blood and direct the weapons to the chests of the enemy,' Mashaal says in Qatar conference -- The two main Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah should unite and fight Israel rather than each other, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said Thursday. The two ought to close ranks on "liberating Palestine, not recognizing Israel and adopting the path of Jihad and resistance," Mashaal said at the end of a two-day conference by Islamic scholars on the Palestinian question. Mashaal made no reference to an 18-point agreement between Hamas and Fatah prisoners held by Israel that was announced Thursday. Al Barghouti holds Fateh - Hamas dialogue in Israeli prison Palestine News Network 5/11/2006 Palestinian political prisoner, Fateh leader, and elected official to the Palestinian Legislative Council, Marwan Al Barghouti is communicating with prominent leaders in the Hamas party. Several are imprisoned with Al Barghouti in the Israeli Hadarim Prison. Al Barghouti has often brokered agreements between parties, even at times in the past arranging agreements between the Israelis and Palestinians. His purpose in the current negotiations is to find a solution to the current crisis between his Fateh party and the now-ruling Hamas party. After intense fighting between the two in the Gaza Strip, Al Barghouti sat down with several Fateh and Hamas members in the prison in order to come to some sort of understanding which might result in a solution to the political, and now physical, fight. Hamas, Fatah prisoners agree to two-state solution in joint draft Ha'aretz 5/11/2006 Senior members of the rival Hamas and Fatah factions have forged a joint platform, including acceptance of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, said Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. However, it was unclear whether Hamas, particularly the group's hardline leaders abroad, will back the program, which would signal a major softening of positions. Until now, Hamas has balked at the West's demands that it renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept existing peace agreements. The document was formulated by senior Hamas and Fatah members who are imprisoned by Israel, and was presented to Abbas on Wednesday. Prisoners from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestinian and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestinian were also party to the agreeement. Syria detains 'prisoners of conscience' The Daily Star 5/13/2006 Saturday, May 13, 2006 LONDON: Prisoners of conscience Ali al-Abdullah and his son Muhammad Ali al-Abdullah have been referred to the Syrian Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) for trial on June 18 and are reportedly being held in Sednaya prison on the outskirts of Damascus. The charges against them are not known. They have been held in incommunicado detention, without access to family members or a lawyer, since their arrest on March 23. They remain at grave risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Proceedings before the SSSC fall far short of international fair-trial standards. Defendants do not have the right of appeal and have restricted access to their lawyers. "Confessions" allegedly extracted under torture are admissible as evidence. Hamas and Fatah leaders urge Abbas to lead peace talks The Guardian 5/12/2006 Palestinian prisoners linked to Hamas and Fatah have jointly called for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, to lead negotiations with Israel on the creation of a state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Mr Abbas welcomed the prisoners' proposals as a means of breaking the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic deadlock. "This document is very important. I adopt the position of those heroes," he told reporters in Ramallah. "It includes a deep and realistic political vision that to a very large extent represents my point of view... and thus I adopt it. " The document agreed by the prisoners does not include explicit recognition of Israel but it could signify a softening of Hamas's position. Army invade several areas of Hebron and arrests five residents International Middle East Media Center 5/11/2006 The Israeli army invaded several areas across the West Bank city of Hebron and arrested five residents, on Thursday. Troops stormed homes in Al Fowar refugee camp, Yata village, Al Thahria village, and Kharsa village. The prisoners society club in the city issued the following four names of those arrested: Mahmoed Ahieb, 33, Hamed Al Wawi, 17,Taleb AL Najar, 45 , Bassam Halahla, 48 the fifth name was not published. This brings the total number of Hebron civilians arrested to 14 in the last 48 hours and 25 form the beginingof May. [end] Jailed militants make overture to Israelis The Daily Star 5/12/2006 Senior Hamas and Fatah leaders imprisoned in Israeli jails hammered out a proposal accepting a Palestinian state alongside Israel and pledging to end attacks inside the Jewish state. The proposals have been put together by the West Bank leader of Fatah Marwan Barghouti, the senior Hamas prisoner Abdel-Khaleq al-Natsh, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's (PFLP) deputy chief Abdel-Rahim Malluh and Islamic Jihad's Bassam al-Saadi, all of whom are in Israeli jails. The proposal calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state "in all the lands occupied in 1967. " The document does not include explicit recognition of Israel, but even the implied recognition would mark a major breakthrough for Hamas. Supreme Court Orders Israel Prison Service to Reconsider Directives Concerning Children?s Visits with their Incarcerated Parents Adalah 5/3/2006 On 26 April 2006, the Supreme Court of Israel ordered the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to reexamine new directives within 45 days concerning children's visits with their incarcerated parents. Under the new directives, political prisoners must submit written requests in advance to the IPS in order to gain permission to have physical contact with their children during visits. The Court also instructed the IPS to investigate the possibility of restricting the right of political prisoners to enjoy physical contact with their children only in exceptional cases, and only for security-related reasons. Israeli law distinguishes between political prisoners, the vast majority of whom are Palestinian citizens of Israel or Palestinians from the Occupied Territories, classified as "security prisoners", and ordinary criminal prisoners. Meshal urges Hamas, Fatah to unite under banner of 'resistance' Ha'aretz 5/12/2006 The two main Palestinian groups, Hamas and Fatah, should unite and fight Israel rather than fighting each other, the Hamas leader, Khaled Meshal, said Thursday. Speaking at the end of a two-day conference, Meshal said Hamas could close ranks with Fatah on the platform of "liberating Palestine, not recognizing Israel and adopting the path of Jihad and resistance. "Meshal made no reference to the 18-point agreement between Hamas and Fatah prisoners held by Israel that was announced earlier Thursday. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who is also the leader of Fatah, endorsed the agreement, but its acceptance would amount to a significant shift by Hamas. The accord calls for a Palestinian state alongside Israel, and Hamas has long refused to recognize Israel. Militants to be charged in murder of Minister Ze'evi Ha'aretz 5/11/2006 The Jerusalem District Court is to charge on Friday four Palestinian militants suspected in the October 2001 murder of Minister Rehavam Ze'evi. The suspects are members of the militant group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They were detained in an Israel Defense Forces raid in a Jericho prison. District Attorney Eran Shender and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz decided in their deliberations not to try another suspect, former secretary-general of the PFLP, Ahmed Sadaat, for involvement in the murder after finding insufficient evidence to his guilt. Sadaat and Poaz Shubaki, a former senior financial man in the Palestinian Authority, will be tried in an IDF court in the West Bank, however, on charges of smuggling weapons and other security crimes. Two Islamic Jihad leaders arrested in Jenin during armed clashes Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Jenin- Ma'an- Israeli forces arrested two prominent leaders of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing affiliated to Islamic Jihad, in Jenin on Thursday. Salih Saadi, 28 years, and Mohammad Jamal were arrested after armed clashes broke out in the east of Jenin. Eyewitnesses said that more than 20 Israeli military vehicles had raided the city of Jenin and surrounded the house where they were hiding. In the violent confrontations, four children received light injuries. Following the arrests, the Israeli forces launched a search campaign in the area and turned one of the houses into a military position. Salih Saadi was released from prison in 2004 and just one month after that, he became a Palestinian "wanted" by the Israeli forces. [end] Palestinian professor to appeal jail term in U.S. terror finance case Ha'aretz 5/12/2006 TAMPA, Florida - Palestinian former professor Sami Al-Arian will appeal a judge's decision to sentence him to additional prison time for his role in providing support to a terrorist group, federal court records show. Attorney C. Peter Erlinder filed the notice to the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday. A federal jury last year acquitted Al-Arian of eight counts of aiding the Palestinian Islamic Jihad while deadlocking on nine other counts. Instead of facing a second trial on the remaining counts, Al-Arian pleaded guilty to one count of providing services to members of the PIJ, labeled a terrorist group by the U.S. government. U.S. District Judge James Moody sentenced him on May 1 to four years and nine months in prison, the most allowed under the terms of a plea agreement that also calls for his deportation. Ad Dweik addresses families' of prisoners Ma'an News 5/10/2006 Ramallah-Ma'an-Dozens of Palestinian prisoners' families held a sit-in strike in front of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in Ramallah on Wednesday calling for PLC members and committees to make prisoners one of the top priorities of their work. Dr. Aziz Ad Dweik, the speaker of the PLC addressed the families and told them, "We are doing everything we can to make this one of our top priorities. We are paying attention to this issue, and we support your nd their steadfastness. "The mothers, sisters and other family members interrupted him many times. They asked why money is sent to Hamas prisoners and not to prisoners affiliated to other factions of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. British law official: Shut Guantanamo AlJazeera 5/11/2006 Britain's attorney-general has said that it is time for the United States to close its Guantanamo Bay prison camp because it undermines America's tradition as a beacon of freedom and justice. Lord Peter Goldsmith said in a speech in London on Wednesday that "the existence of Guantanamo Bay remains unacceptable", adding that "it is time, in my view, that it should close". Goldsmith, the highest British official to make an unambiguous call for the prison's closure, said shutting it down would help the US burnish its global image. "Not only would it, in my personal opinion, be right to close Guantanamo as a matter of principle, I believe it would also help to remove what has become a symbol to many - right or wrong - of injustice," he said. Palestinian Authority crisis: Prisons running out of food International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2006 According to a report Monday morning, Palestinian police cannot provide food for prisoners detained in its prisons because there is no money to pay for it. In addition, a senior Palestinian official told London-based newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi that all units of the Palestinian security forces have had no food for two days. Palestinian police chief General Ala Husseini confirmed the newspaper reports that prisoners and forces have not had any food for two days. Husseini said that the matter has been reported to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh as well as Interior Minister Said Siam. According to Husseini, the situation is worsening dramatically, and Abbas and Haniyeh are holding a series of meetings in attempt to solve the crisis. Parents of detainees protest in Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 5/6/2006 In cooperation with the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) in Bethlehem, the Committee of Parents of Detainees in the city organized, on Saturday, a protest in front of the Red Cross Office in support of the Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and detention facilities. Hundreds of residents, representatives of the Palestinian factions and different organizations participated in the protest. The residents carried Palestinian flags and pictures of political detainees in Israeli jails. The protestors appealed the Red Cross and international organizations to be actively involved in lifting the illegal practices, humiliation and violations practiced by Israel against their detained family members. Al-Batsh recommends kidnapping Israeli soldiers as means of promoting the prisoners' issue Ma'an News 5/8/2006 Gaza-Ma'an- The Islamic Jihad leader, Khaled Al-Batsh, has stated that kidnapping Israeli soldiers would be a faster solution for forcing the Israeli occupation to release Palestinian prisoners. Batsh's speech came during the weekly sit-in of prisoners' families in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City. He said, "We have tried all political means and given the prisoners' issue all the support and solidarity but the Israeli occupation has frustrated all plans". He then indicated that kidnapping Israeli soldiers would be the fastest way to arrange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. Friends of Humanity International details suffering of Palestinian prisoners and their families D Ma'an News 5/4/2006 Ma'an-The Austrian human rights organization, "Friends of Humanity International" (Menschenfreunde International) has issued a press release on 4 May 2006 marking Palestinian Prisoners' Day. The press release is titled "Anguish of Deprivation and Hope for Reunion" and details the hardships encountered by the Palestinian prisoners and their families at the time of the prisoners' visit and the Israeli dilatory procedures. The full text is below: "Unparalleled suffering endured by the Palestinian prisoners and their families - In view of the abominable siege which the Israeli political and military authorities have been imposing on the Palestinians on the occupied Palestinian lands since 29 September 2000, it has become extremely difficult for the Palestinian families to visit their prisoners in the Israeli jails and custodies... " Woman in prison without charge or trial is trying to raise a daughter Palestine News Network 5/3/2006 Jerusalem) Maisa Abu Ghazaleh 3 May 06Palestinian political prisoner Itaf Alyan's family is calling for direct intervention. Israeli authorities extended his Administrative Detention sentence, without charge or trial, for another six months. The family calls the imprisonment “unjust and unfair. ”The family is not allowed to visit their son, nor is her lawyer Ahmed Qamara. The woman who has been imprisoned already for a year and seven months is on hunger strike in an act of nonviolent resistance against such treatment. Lawyer Khalid Al Arag, from the Prisoner Society said that Administrative Detention is “the ugliest means by which the occupation authorities pressure the prisoner and family, because this type of sentence does not allow for trial or charge, and no reason is given for the imprisonment. ” Palestinian female prisoners suffer from serious lack of healthcare Ma'an News 5/3/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Risalat Al-Huquq Centre lawyer, Ahmad Khatib, said on Wednesday that the Palestinian female prisoner Wafa'a Albis is suffering from serious burns in different parts of her body. The lawyer, who visited the Israeli jail of Hasharon, met many female prisoners in the jail and reported this. Ms. Albis was arrested while on her way to conduct a bombing operation in Israel. She was treated in an Israeli hospital and the Israelis claim that she was arrested while she was carrying a bombing belt. Ms. Albis told the lawyer that she was suffering from burns on her neck which urgently needs to be operated on, and burns on her left hand which is making her unable to move two of her fingers. PNI welcomes private sector's initiative and dialogue Ma'an News 5/3/2006 Ramallah- Ma'an- The Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) welcomed the political initiative which the Palestinian private sector called for in order to form a national government. The PNI considered the initiative a positive and constructive step towards the lifting of the siege and the frustration of the Israeli government's plans, such as Olmert's plan, which intend to partition Palestinian areas and turn them into isolated areas and prisons. The PNI called for the factions to deal positively with the initiative and to start an immediate dialogue to form a national unity government. [end] Daughter of Sami Al-Arian Says Family "Devastated" by Father's Continued Imprisonment, Blasts Media Coverage Democracy Now! 5/3/2006 The case of Palestinian professor and activist Sami Al-Arian took another turn this week when a federal judge in Florida sentenced him to another year and a half in prison. We speak with his daughter, Laila Al-Arian, his attorney, Linda Moreno and journalist John Sugg who has been closely following the case. [includes rush transcript] The case of Palestinian professor and activist Sami al-Arian took another turn this week when a federal judge in Florida sentenced him to another year and a half in prison.... At his sentencing on Monday, US District Judge James Moody ignored the recommendation of prosecutors and defense attorneys for a lower sentence and gave Al-Arian as much prison time as possible under the plea deal - 57 months, followed by deportation. Jordanian court jails militants BBC 5/2/2006 Jordan's state security court has jailed 10 Islamists convicted of planning attacks on anti-terrorism officials and US forces. The men were given prison sentences ranging from two to five years. The alleged leader of the group, Motassem Suleiman, was sentenced to five years' hard labour for conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks. Seven other defendants, who had been accused of belonging to the group, were acquitted. The convicted prisoners shouted insults at the judges after the verdicts were read out. "God is our Lord and the tyrant is their master," they shouted, suggesting that the Jordanian state and judiciary were agents for the US. Israeli soldiers torture deaf Palestinian child (12 years) Palestine Monitor 5/2/2006 Jenin-Ma'an- The Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) has revealed that Israeli soldiers tortured a deaf, 12-year old Palestinian boy. In a press release issued by PMRS’ Rehabilitation Programme, the organisation said that Israeli soldiers stationed at a temporary checkpoint between Jenin and Qalqiliya fiercely attacked and harshly tortured Mohammad Izzat Qarariyeh. As the child is deaf, he was not able to answer the soldier’s questions, nor express himself clearly to the soldiers at the barrier. He tried to tell them that he was still a child and does not yet have an ID. Tamam Anwar, an employee at PMRS' Rehabilitation Programme, said that the Israeli soldiers hit the boy continuously and severely, and that although he heard the child’s screams, he was unable to do anything about it. Israeli authorities close the accounts of over 150 Palestinian prisoners Ma'an News 5/2/2006 Nablus – Ma'an- The Prisoners and Detainees Society have confirmed that the Israeli Prison Authorities have closed the accounts of a large number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and are not allowing money to be sent to them. In a statement issued on Tuesday the Society said that the step is considered another step in the escalation policy against Palestinian prisoners and added that more than 150 prisoners are not allowed to receive their money which they use to buy food and other needs from the "cantina". Female detainee in bad health is denied medicine, counsel International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2006 Lawyer of the Prisoners Committee reported on Monday that Israeli prison Authorities barred him from visiting detainee Raja' Al Ghoul who was transferred to Al Ramleh detention facility in spite of her illness. Al Ghoul was arrested three months ago and remained in detention without any charges while the Israeli Prison Authorities (IPS) refused to allow her lawyer from visiting her since her arrest. Al Ghoul is suffering from a heart disease; after her arrest, she was transferred to Al Jalama prison and was put in solitary confinement. The ISP refused to provide her with her prescribed medications in spite of her daily need requirement. Israeli intelligence believes that Al Ghoul is a member of the Islamic Jihad. After two months prevention Palestinians from Nablus will be able to visit family members in Israeli prisons Ma'an News 5/2/2006 Nablus- Ma'an- The Israeli authorities have allowed the families of Palestinian prisoners in the Nablus area to visit their family members in Israeli jails after two months of prevention. Hussam Shakhshir of the ICRC in Nablus told Ma'an, "the ICRC in Nablus was informed officially by the Israeli authorities that the visits are to be resumed starting from Sunday the seventh of May 2006". Shakhshir called for the families of the prisoners from the Nablus area who wish to visit their family members in the Israeli jails to register their names starting from Wednesday. [end] Palestinian Prisoner Samar Subeih gives birth in Israeli hospital; in Gaza a festival of support is held Ma'an News 5/2/2006 Gaza-Ma'an- The first deputy for the PLC, Dr. Ahmad Bahar, has said "the prisoner Samar Subeih in not the daughter of Sabeh's family, she is a daughter of Islam and Palestine". Bahar's speech came during a festival for struggle that took place in front of her house in the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza City in which the participants - dozens of prisoners' mothers, supporters of Samar's case and PLC members – called for the release of all female prisoners. The PLC member, Am Nidal, called on the PA, PLC, and Palestinian organizations for the release of the Samar and all the female prisoners and Palestinian prisoners. This festival took place after Samar gave birth on Sunday in an Israeli hospital. She was transported there from the Israeli jail where she is completing her sentence in handcuffs and with her feet tied. [end] Prisoners' Affairs Ministry Office Manager has his house raided by Israeli Forces Ma'an News 5/1/2006 Tulkarem-Ma'an- Israeli troops broke into the house of the office manager of the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs, Omar Abu Samrah (38 years) in the Tulkarem Governorate on Monday morning. Omar's wife, Arsilin Sawalha, reported that at 6:00 am Omar went to monitor the events taking place in the Dhinabba district of Tulkarem during the Israeli military operation there. After that, the Israeli forces broke into Omar's house and an Israeli intelligence official, calling himself "Captain Ashraf", asked Mrs Sawalha about the whereabouts of her husband. Mrs Sawalha added that the "Captain" demanded she call Omar. .... Mrs Sawalha added that the Israeli forces destroyed the contents of the house and carried out an extensive search of the building. Apologies aren't enough – the IDF must investigate those responsible for the death in Tulkarm B'tselem 5/1/2006 The circumstances under which 'Itaf Zalat, a 44-year old woman, was killed in Tulkarem last night, raise the grave suspicion that Israeli security forces acted as if they were conducting an assassination rather than an arrest operation. Such behavior constitutes a blatant violation of the principles of International Humanitarian Law. B'Tselem has yet to complete its investigation into the incident. However, its initial findings indicate a clear similarity between the security forces' behavior in this incident and those in past arrest operations in which innocent civilians were killed. In past cases investigated by B'Tselem, and documented in the organizations 2005 report Take No Prisoners, soldiers used lethal force without being in any life threatening situation, demonstrating a pattern of indifference to the safety of Palestinian civilians. The Trip from Tulkarm to Ramallah: 3 road blocks, 5 check-points, 7 cars By Abdel-Karim Dalbah, International Solidarity Movement 4/29/2006 How long does it take to travel from the north-east of the West Bank, to the centre? In such a small area of land, you might think not long. A Palestinian ISM co-ordinator gives an account of a the realities of trying to get out of the prison that the Israeli military is turning the north into. An average journey * Drive distance: 90 km * Drive time: 90 min max - directly in one car. * Cost: 15 shekels by bus or 20 to 25 shekels by car (service)On the 23rd of April 2006 and for more than five months * Drive distance: more than 300 km * Drive time + walking + waiting at checkpoints: 5 hrs, 30 min * Cost: 65 Shekels - WHY: Because of the Israeli policies of closure and checkpoints and the fact that I am a Palestinian from Tulkarm (in the north of the West Bank). Palestinian professor sentenced for terrorism in US The Guardian 5/2/2006 A Florida judge told a Palestinian computer engineer yesterday that he must spend another 18 months in prison before being deported, in a case that had been seen as a key test for sweeping anti-terror legislation brought in after September 11. Sami al-Arian, a former professor at the University of South Florida, has been jailed since February 2003, meaning he has 18 months to serve in the four year and nine month term he received yesterday. In sentencing, Judge James Moody called him an "active leader" in Islamic Jihad. The verdict was a result of a plea bargain. Arian was acquitted by a jury along with three others in December last year on several more serious terrorist charges, including conspiracy to murder. |
Portrait of a woman as political prisoner International Womens' Peace Service 5/28/2006 The world marks International Day of Action for Women’s Health every May 28th. It is an opportune moment to draw attention to the health and welfare of several Palestinian women who languish in Israeli jails and detention facilities and even those who are ex-prisoners who continue to endure post-imprisonment woes. Since the beginning of the Occupation in 1967 over 650,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli Authorities (1) which includes approximately 40 percent of the Palestinian male population (2), many of whom have been humiliated and subjected to ill treatment and torture. In January this year there were 8,238 Palestinian prisoners, of which 794 were held in administrative detention without charge or trial.(3) Palestinian women are not immune from arrest. Currently, there are approximately 115 women prisoners.(4) I met Zahra, a well known former prisoner who spent eleven years in captivity. She is the mother of three children, and lives in Deir Ballut, a village in our Salfeet district. In 1986 the army came to her house at midnight and blindfolded, handcuffed and arrested her in front of her children, aged 9, 5 and 2. Two months later her house was demolished by the Israeli army, an act of collective punishment violating international law (4th Geneva Convention and Hague Regulation), which left her children homeless. Zahra spoke of the atrocious interrogation procedure and the conditions in which she was kept. She made it clear that there was nothing unique in her experiences. For indeed more than 85 per cent of Palestinian detainees are subjected to ill treatment and torture during interrogation.(5) Israeli authorities are committing grave human rights abuses on a daily basis, and are clearly violating International law, which prohibits the use of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment (4th Geneva Conventions, International Convention for Political and Civil Rights, Convention against Torture and Cruel and Inhuman Treatment).
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Adalah Adalah (Justice in Arabic) is the first non-profit, non-sectarian Palestinian-run legal center in Israel. The main goal of Adalah’s work is to achieve equal rights and minority rights protections for Palestinian citizens of Israel. Addameer Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Organization: Addameer (conscience) is a Palestinian non-governmental, civil institution which focuses on human rights issues. Supports Palestinian prisoners, advocates for rights of political prisoners, works to end torture. Amnesty International Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. AI’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Amnesty International USA Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. AI’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Arab Association for Human Rights - HRA The HRA was founded in 1988 to promote and protect the political, civil, economic, and cultural rights of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel and to further the domestic implementation of international human rights principles. It is an independent non-governmental organisation registered in Israel. Association for Civil Rights in Israel - ACRI In Hebrew - The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) was founded in 1972 as a non-political and independent body, with the goal of protecting human and civil rights in Israel and in the territories under Israeli control. B’tselem The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Boycott Israeli Medical Association UK: The Medical Committee for Boycott of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) will document the systematic torture of Palestinian people by agents of Israel. It will publicise the practice in order to bring world opinion to bear on Israel. And it will challenge the Israeli Medical Association which has repeatedly failed to issue advice to doctors who are involved in any way with torture. Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch is an independent, nongovernmental organization, supported by contributions from private individuals and foundations worldwide. Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is an independent legal body based in Gaza City dedicated to protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, and upholding democratic principles in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Palestinian Prisoners Society The Palestinian Prisoner Society is a social and human institution and its members are prisoners inside prisons and released prisoners. Membership is open to every Palestinian prisoner inside and outside prisons who meets the conditions of membership. Physicians for Human Rights - Israel Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR-Israel) was established in 1988 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, dedicated to promoting and protecting the medical human rights of all residents of Israel and the Occupied Territories. Public Committee Against Torture in Israel - PCATI An independent human rights organization founded that monitors the implementation conditions in detention centers and continues the struggle against the use of torture in interrogation in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine The main collection contains the texts of current and historical United Nations material concerning the question of Palestine and other issues related to the Middle East situation and the search for peace. World Organisation Against Torture OMCT is today the largest international coalition of NGOs fighting against torture,summary executions, forced disappearances and all other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in order to preserve Human Rights. It has at its disposal a network, SOS Torture, consisting of some 240 non-governmental organisations which act as sources of information. |
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