Vermonters
for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
Prisoners Archive - May 2007
Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees by Israel and Others
Prisoners Archive - May 2007
Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees by Israel and Others
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Vermonters
for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel Prisoners Archive - May 2007 Treatment of Prisoners and Detainees by Israel and Others |
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Palestinian prisoners: Hunger strike called for Thursday dinnertime in Israeli jails Ma’an News Agency 5/31/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are conducting a hunger strike on Thursday to show solidarity with prisoners kept in solitary confinement. In a statement received by Ma’an, they declared, "our solidarity [action] includes a hunger strike for Thursday’s dinner, which is to be returned back to the prisons’ administration in protest against the policy of solitary confinement." The prisoners called on the Palestinian people and national institutions, led by the presidency and the government, in addition to the resistance factions, "to endeavor to end the solitary confinement against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails". 18 Palestinian prisoners are in solitary confinement at the Ramla jail, deprived of outside human contact, even contact with other prisoners in the same jail. Israeli human right group report exposes Israeli violations in detention camps IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/31/2007 The Israeli popular committee against torture has issued a reported proving that Israeli interrogators use methods against Palestinian political prisoners that contradict with the third Geneva agreement regarding the treatment of prisoners. The reported stated that Israeli interrogators use methods such as physical torture and not allowing the prisoners to sleep for several days. The Palestinian minister of information Dr. Mustafa Al Barghouthi stated on Thursday that this report exposes the Israeli government and its brutal policy of dealing with Palestinian political prisoners. Al Barghouthi added that Israel does not respect international law and attempts to evade any implementation of the forth Geneva Convention, arguing that this law does not apply to Palestinian areas. Salem military court imprisons Palestinian man on charges of Islamic Jihad activism, releases son of PLC member Ma’an News Agency 5/31/2007 Jenin - Tulkarem - Ma’an - The Israeli military court of Salem has convicted Palestinian prisoner Najih Sharqawi to 12 months’ imprisonment and a fine of 100 NIS. Lawyer Fuad Hawwash from Jenin said that Sharqawi was accused of being an Islamic Jihad activist and member. On the other hand, the Israeli authorities released Palestinian prisoner Hamza Qarawi from Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem after 30 months’ imprisonment. Qarawi, who is the son of Palestinian Legislative Council member Fathi Qarawi, was a student at An-Najah University in the West Bank city of Nablus when he was arrested in January 2005. His father, Sheikh Fathi Qarawi is also imprisoned by the Israeli authorities. Israeli High Court allows Shin Bet to torture Palestinians, Public Committee Against Torture in Israel says Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) has issued a report documenting a number of Palestinian cases of torture endured during interrogation at the hands of the Israeli domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet. In the report, which is entitled "Ticking Bombs", PCATI harshly criticises the Israeli High Court’s approval of the use of controversial methods to interrogate Palestinians, saying that, in Israel, there is "no effective barrier – not legal and certainly not ethical – that stands in the way of using torture." The ruling, PCATI says, has been interpreted by the Shin Bet as a green light to torture almost every Palestinian detainee. The report includes detailed accounts of nine Palestinian detainees who underwent torture, physical, sexual and psychological, at the hands of their Israeli interrogators. Israeli military courts extend numerous prisoners’ imprisonment, interrogation and administrative detention Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Jenin - Ma’an - The Israeli military courts of Salem, Al-Jalama and Ofer have extended the detention of numerous Palestinian prisoners, and postponed the court hearings of various others, the Nafha society for the defence of human and prisoners’ rights reported on Wednesday. According to Mustafa Azmouti, Nafha society’s lawyer in Jenin, Salem military court extended the detention of Amjad Hseis for ten days and that of Tahir Ad-Damaj until 24th July. The court also postponed the hearing of Tariq Masad until 26th July. However, according to a separate statement from the Nafha society in Tulkarem, Salem military court also extended the detention of three prisoners for another three days. The statement also said that another detainee had his hearing postponed to 9th August. Report highlights widespread torture of Palestinian prisoners John Smith, International Middle East Media Center 5/30/2007 In a report released on Wednesday, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel accuses the Israeli intelligence services of the widespread torture of Palestinian detainees. The accusations contained within the report are backed up by the testimonies of 9 former Palestinian prisoners. These testimonies contain allegations of a wide variety of practices formally recognized as torture and in one case, allegations of sexual abuse. Forensic examination of the prisoners in question revealed signs of sexual and physical abuse on their body, with one prisoner in particular left paralyzed as a direct result of damage incurred to his spine during interrogation. For its part, the committee slammed such practices, arguing that the High Court’s decision to permit controversial interrogation techniques has led to the widespread abuse of Palestinian prisoners. Report accuses Shin Bet, police of severely torturing Palestinian suspects Nir Hasson, Ha’aretz 5/31/2007 A harsh report released Wednesday by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel accuses the Shin Bet and police of instances of severe torture of Palestinian security suspects. The report contains the testimonies of nine Palestinians who were arrested by the Israel Defense Forces and Shin between 2004 and 2005, including one that charged police investigators with committing severe sexual abuse. According to A. , during questioning a police investigator held his legs in the air, and inserted an object into his rectum. "While the investigator inserted the ’object’ into my rectum and removed it, he pulled my genitalia, as if he wanted to rip it out," said A. "He told me that he wanted to cut it off and throw it to the dog - this lasted at least 10 minutes. Huwwara prisoners threaten to launch a hunger strike Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Nablus - Ma’an - Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli detention center at Huwwara, located south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, have threatened to launch a hunger strike if the detention center’s administration continues to impose such harsh living conditions on the detainees. Through the prisoners’ association, the detainees called on all humanitarian organizations to immediately intervene in order to protect the prisoners, who are suffering from very dire conditions at the hands of to the administration and the soldiers in the detention center. For his part, the mayor of Nablus, Adli Ya’ish, called on the international community to exert pressure on the Israeli government in order to halt the targeted killings and the apprehension of Palestinians in general, and of the people of Nablus in particular. Palestinian prisoner sentenced to 5 months’ administrative detention as military court fails to prove charges Ma’an News Agency 5/29/2007 Qalqilya - Ma’an - The Nafha society for the defence of human and prisoners’ rights in the West Bank governorate of Qalqilya has revealed that the Israeli authorities have sentenced Palestinian prisoner Husni Sharif An-Nees, 26, to five months’ administrative detention. Administrative detention is arrest without charge or trial and is indefinitely renewable under military regulations. As a form of collective punishment, it is illegal under international law. A statement issued Tuesday said that the decision to detain An-Nees came after the Israeli intelligence failed to prove any of the charges against him in spite of the fact that he was held for more than sixty days of interrogation in Jalama detention centre. Nafha society’s lawyer Muhammad Al Abid said that the Israeli authorities in Jalama threatened... Israel to indict Hamas detainees Thursday Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/29/2007 Military prosecution to ask court to extend remand of dozens of organization officials captured in wide-scale operation last week. Defense establishment not ruling out possibility of arresting Palestinian PM Haniyeh -- Israel will indict some of the senior Hamas members arrested last week on Thursday, military sources told Ynet on Tuesday. The sources said that the defense establishment did not rule out a possibility of arresting Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. The military prosecution is expected to ask the military courts to extend the remand of the 34 detainees. "The detention and the expected legal procedure is a continuation of the struggle against the Hamas organization and its infrastructures, from the rank of activists to the highest level, including those spreading the organization’s ideology through governmental offices," the military sources said. 8220;Ticking Bombs” The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, International Solidarity Movement 5/28/2007 Testimonies of Torture Victims in Israel - (PCATI) - The report will be presented to the press on Wednesday, 30 May 2007, at 10:00 AM atthe office of The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), 31 Blumenfeld Street, Kiryat Yovel, Jerusalem. Copies of the report (in PDF or Word files) will be sent to journalists upon request. This report, issued by PCATI, describes the routine of torture in Israel from the point of view of its victims. Nine detailed case studies narrating the victims’ experiences from the moment of arrest, through interrogation and trial and through the routine refusal of the Ministry of Justice to investigate their complaints will provide us with a glimpse into the world of torture in Israel. The detailed testimonies of these torture victims reveals the extent to which the practice... Syrian Detainees in Israeli prisons facing harsh conditions Mo''in Shadeed - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 The Golan Heights Detainees Committee has issued a press release documenting the harsh living conditions that Syrian Detainees from the Golan Heights are facing in Israeli detention facilities. The Committee stated that the detainees are deprived of their basic rights and that many of them are held in solitary confinement and denied visitation rights. The Committee stated that detainee Seetan Nimir Al Waly is suffering from several health complications while the prison administration is depriving him of his basic right to medical treatment. The parents of Al Waly stated that they visited him in the Nafha detention camp, in the Negev, demanding that the Israeli authorities allow specialized physicians to examine their son. The family stated that every detainee is entitled to receive the required medical... Corpse of abducted Gazan found with evidence of torture on the body Ma’an News Agency 5/27/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – The corpse of a Palestinian man, Muhammad Akeila, aged 30, was found three days after he was kidnapped by unidentified assailants in the Gaza Strip. According to the director of the ambulance and emergency department in the Palestinian ministry of health, Mu’awiya Hassanein, the corpse was transferred from Beir Na’ja area in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, to Ash Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Hassanein said the corpse had evidence of torture, but no bullet wounds. [end] Israeli authorities claim Palestinian prisoner commits suicide, family alleges malpractice Ma’an News Agency 5/27/2007 Bethlehem – Ma’an – The family of a Palestinian prisoner in an Israeli jail, Ibrahim Sharara, aged 45, from Beit Jala in the southern West Bank, denied the Israeli claims that he committed suicide in Ramallah prison, where he was serving an 11 month sentence. He was imprisoned for entering Jerusalem without an Israeli permit. Family members told Ma’an that Sharara, who served 9 months in jail, was suffering from terrible health conditions, which deteriorated after he was transferred to Ramallah prison and put in solitary confinement, two weeks ago. The family added that Sharara was in touch with them before he was put in confinement and he told them he would be back after a month. They said that he showed "no signs of depression or despair that could cause him to commit suicide. Israeli forces deport a Palestinian prisoner to Jordan after he completes his sentence Ma’an News Agency 5/27/2007 Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Israeli forces exiled a Palestinian prisoner to Jordan on Sunday. The prisoner is Mahir Hamdan, aged 31, from Al-Khadr, south of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. The prisoner’s uncle, Rizq told Ma’an that his nephew was arrested on the 3rd of September 2004 and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment. The Israeli forces failed to release him after he served his sentence. He added that the Israeli Supreme Court decided on the 2nd of May to deport him to Jordan. The prisoner’s father was killed by the Israelis in 1977. [end] Israeli troops abduct Palestinian Cabinet Minister in Jenin; land titles stolen Saed Bannoura - IMEMC Editorial Group, International Middle East Media Center 5/26/2007 In the early hours of Saturday morning, Israeli forces surrounded the home of Palestinian Cabinet Minster Wasfi Qabha, who was eventually abducted and taken to an undisclosed location. Local sources in Jenin reported that a number of Israeli troops and vehicles invaded the city in the early hours of Saturday morning, focusing their attack on the home of Wasfi Qabha and the Islamic Waqf and Religious Affairs Directorate. Qabha was abducted in May of last year during a massive Israeli sweep of Palestinian government ministers, but was later released. Over 70 Hamas official were abducted in the previous round of raids. The current round of arrests by Israeli forces have been ongoing for almost one week. So far, more than 30 Hams officials have been taken prisoner. Israel attacks home in Hebron area, kidnapping three and inuring one Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2007 An Israeli Military force on Thursday morning kidnapped 3 Palestinians from the West Bank city of Hebron, Yatta and Taffouh. A boy from Yatta town, south of Hebron city, was injured during clashes with the Israeli army in the late hours of Wednesday night. The boy was identified as Ahmad Najar, 17. Official sources in the Palestinian Prisoners Society identified the abducted Palestinians as Tarek Natsheh, from Hebron, Bahjat Ehrizat, from Yatta, and Mohammad Ezriqat, Head of Taffouh Charitable Society. In another operation, Israeli forces invaded two cultural centres in Dora and Taffouh towns in Hebron, ransacking them and confiscating computers and documents. [end] Female Palestinian from Nazareth released after over 5 years’ imprisonment Ma’an News Agency 5/25/2007 Tulkarem - Ma’an - The Israeli authorities released on Thursday a female Palestinian prisoner from Nazareth city in northern Israel. The released prisoner, Su’ad Hamad, 28, spent five and a half years in Israeli jails including a period spent in isolation from 13 September 2006 until she was released. According to a Hebrew news website, Ms. Hamad was accused of contacting an outside party and planning to carry out an operation inside Israel. [end] Israel arrests Palestinian minister of education Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/24/2007 Palestinians report IDF forces raid Nablus overnight in arrest operation, taking some 10 Hamas leaders into custody, including PA minister of education and mayor of NablusPalestinian sources reported early Thursday morning that IDF troops conducted a large-scale arrest operation in the West Bank city of Nablus during the night, detaining the minister of education for Palestinian Authority and the mayor of Nablus. According to the Palestinians IDF forces raided the homes of Hamas leaders and arrested them, reports put the number of detainees at 10. The highest ranking of these is Education Minister Nasser al-Din Shaar. Shaar was arrested in the past, after the June 2006 abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, but he was released from custody. Amnesty condemns Israeli strikes Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem, The Guardian 5/24/2007 Israeli troops killed more than 650 Palestinians, including 120 children, last year, a threefold increase on 2005, the human rights group Amnesty International said yesterday. Israel was criticised for air and artillery strikes on Gaza, continuing to build the West Bank barrier and restricting the movement of Palestinians with checkpoints. "Israeli soldiers and settlers committed serious human rights abuses, including unlawful killings, against Palestinians, mostly with impunity," the annual report said. Amnesty also criticised the United States for its policy of "extraordinary rendition" and treatment of detainees, particularly at Guantánamo Bay. "The US administration’s double-speak has been breathtakingly shameless," Irene Khan, the secretary general, wrote. Refusing to Kneel to the Occupation Hebron, International Solidarity Movement 5/23/2007 On the morning of Tuesday, May 22. two human rights workers (HRWs) witnessed a young Palestinian man being detained at the Israeli soldier post in the Tel Rumeida district of Hebron. The Israeli soldier at the post started to film the two HRWs with his camera-phone, directly in front of he HRWs’ faces. One of the two soldiers was very aggressive towards the Palestinian detainee from the beginning. The soldier took the detainee’s ID and made him lift his shirt. After about 20 minutes, one of the HRWs tried to negotiate with the soldiers in order to make the process faster. The soldiers refused to talk. One of them said that he would only talk if the HRWs shut off the camera. About 5 minutes later, two sisters of the detained man came and stood with him. Israeli Military fire on Palestinian and International journalists John Smith - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 In an unprovoked attack, the Israeli Military fired on a number of Palestinian and International journalists in the village of Ertas, near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Monday afternoon. In an unprovoked attack, the Israeli Military on Monday afternoon fired on a number of Palestinian and International journalists in the village of Ertas, near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. Troops took prisoner three Palestinian farmers, two of which are accused of allegedly assaulting security officers accompanying the bulldozers. The two were identified as Adham Rabiyaa 22, and Ali Abu Sway 18. Eyewitnesses told IMEMC that there was no violence or asault committed by the two young men. wad Abu Sway, the owner of the land, was also taken prisoner by the Israeli armyCrowds of local Palestinians,... 14 Palestinian prisoners receive extended sentence from Israeli military court Ma’an News Agency 5/21/2007 Qalqilia - Ma’an - The Nafha Association for defending Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in Qalqilia reported that the Israeli military court of Salem extended the detention of 14 prisoners. Six detainees from the West Bank town of Qalqilia received an extension until the 19th of July. Six others received 10 days extension and two received 8 days extension. [end] Family of an injured detainees appeals his release Moeen Shadeed – IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 Family of detainees Omar Kamal Abu Ni’ma, from Tulkarem refugee camp, in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, appealed the International Red Cross and other human rights groups to intervene and release their ailing son who was kidnapped by the army as he return from treatment in France. Abu Ni’ma, 21, was kidnapped on Sunday evening at the Al Karama Crossing, between Jordan and the occupied West Bank, as he was heading back home after receiving medical treatment in France. In 2001, Abu Ni’ma was shot and injured by several rounds of live ammunition fired by the Israeli soldiers during an invasion to the Gaza. The injury caused multiple complications, including complications in his spine. After his injury, the Israeli authorities rejected to hospitalize him in Israel, which forced the family to seek treatment elsewhere. 25 detainees injured as soldiers attacked them in the Negev detention facility IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 At least 25 Palestinian detainees were injured on Sunday in the Israeli Negev detention facility after the soldiers attacked them with batons when they protested to the transfer of 250 detainees to other facilities. In a phone call, one of the detainees reported that the prison administration has stepped its attacks against the detainees and informed them that it intends to transfer 250 detainees to other facilities. The detainees considered this decision was part of the Israeli collective punishment policies, and as a revenge to a previous incident were some soldiers were attacked by a number of detainees at one of the facility’s sections. Commenting on the recent attack, the detainees stated that soldiers broke into several sections in the facility and attacked dozens of detainees. Family of a three detained sons appeals human rights groups to aid in freeing them IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2007 Under very difficult conditions, the three brothers Ra’fat, Izzat, and Mohammad Amin Turkman are imprisoned by the Israeli Authorities, while Ra’fat and Izzat are suffering from bad health conditions and denied medication. Ra’fat was sentenced to 10 years and is currently imprisoned on Shatta detention facility. He needs immediate medical treatment and a surgery but the prison administration is rejecting to transfer him to hospital. Ahmad added that his brother Izzat, 28, is in Hadarim prison and that he was taken prisoner in April 2003. Izzat was sentenced to two life-terms and additional 30 years. He was captured after he was shot by the army and was not provided with the needed treatment. His health condition continues to decline especially since he was tortured and interrogated in spite of his injury. 17 May 07: Abducted BBC journalist’s 45th birthday; Abu Qatada offers to travel to Gaza to mediate his release Ma’an News Agency 5/17/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - Thursday, 17 May, 2007 is the 45th birthday of BBC journalist Alan Johnston, who was abducted by gunmen in the northern Gaza Strip 66 days ago, on 12 March. After two months of silence, a relatively unknown militant group, the ’Jaish al-Islam’, or ’Army of Islam’, claimed responsibility for Johnston’s abduction earlier in May. In a videotape distributed in Gaza, they showed Johnston’s BBC identity card and demanded the release of "the Muslim prisoners in the British prisons, primarily the Palestinian Abu Qatada." According to a statement received by the Islamic Information Centre in London, Abu Qatada, an Islamic cleric currently in UK detention on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activity, has announced his readiness to travel to the Gaza Strip with a BBC delegation in order to mediate Johnston’s release. Israeli authorities release Hasan Yousif Bani Nimra Ma’an News Agency 5/16/2007 Nablus – Salfit – Ma’an – Israeli authorities on Wednesday released Hasan Yousif Bani Nimra, aged 30, who was arrested during the Israeli invasion of Jericho prison, during which they arrested the secretary general of the PFLP, Ahmad Sa’adat. The prisoner was released from Megiddo prison after serving 15 months. [end] Detainees in Bir Sheva barred from their visitation rights IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2007 Lawyer of the Nafha Society for Defending the Rights of the Detainees, Sana’ Dweik, stated that she met with three detainees in Holi-Qidar - Bir Sheva Israeli detention facility who informed her that several detainees are barred from their visitation rights without any apparent causes of explanations by the prison administration. Sabha stated that the food is bad even when the detainees have to buy it from the canteen for high prices, the rooms are small and overcrowded, and that the detainees are not allowed out of their rooms for extended periods. Sabha also said that several detainees are barred from their visitation rights without any apparent reason, and that the administration continues attacks them and continues to violate their rights. The Losers are Too Numerous to Name Anna Baltzer, International Solidarity Movement 5/15/2007 Palestinian performers depict typical scenes of interrogation, abuse, and torture of Palestinians in Israeli prisons and detention centers. A few weeks ago I attended an event commemorating Palestinian Prisoner’s Day at Al Far’a Refugee Camp in the Tubas area. To enter the theatrical and cultural spectacle we had to pass through a makeshift checkpoint with soldiers pointing their guns in our faces and screaming in Hebrew for us to get back. Although I knew these were Palestinian actors role-playing the harassment they experience daily, it was very frightening to have men with guns yell at me in a foreign language and stick killing machines in my face. I realized immediately that although I witness harassment at checkpoints constantly, as a white Jewish American woman of extreme privilege I can never really know what it feels like to go through one as a Palestinian. I suspected the actors had been instructed to especially focus on Western attendees to illustrate some of the abusive behavior we remain so shielded from. It was very effective. Israeli military court of Salem extends detention of Palestinians accused of affiliation to Islamic Jihad Ma’an News Agency 5/15/2007 Jenin – Ma’an – Attorney Farid Al-Hawwash reported on Tuesday that the Israeli military court of Salem extended the detention of three Palestinian detainees from the Jenin district until the 24th of May 2007. The same court also extended the detention of two other Palestinians from Jenin until the 3rd of June. Al-Hawwash added that the detainees were accused of affiliation to the Islamic Jihad movement. [end] Human rights worker released after two years in administrative detention Press Release, Electronic Intifada 5/14/2007 Ahmad Abu Haniya, the AIC Youth Project Coordinator, will be released from administrative detention this morning (Tuesday 14 May), after two years of imprisonment without trial or charges. Ahmad was detained at a checkpoint on his way to work on 18 May 2005 and placed in administrative detention, which is imprisonment without trial or charges. As with all of the approximately 800 Palestinian administrative detainees currently being held by Israel, Ahmad and his attorney were not even permitted to know the evidence against him. As Ahmad stated before the military court, "They tell me that I am a danger to the security of the region. Yet for years, I have worked with Israelis. I have Israeli friends. I always emphasize the fact that on this land it is possible to live in peace. Two Lawyers of Mandela institute visit detainees in Gabloa’ and Shatta detention facilities IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/14/2007 Bothiana Douqmaq, and Hilal Jaber, lawyers of the Mandela institute reported that they managed to visit a number of detainees in Galboa’ and Shatta Israeli detention facilities. The detainees complained of bad treatments and harsh living conditions. Detainee Moayyad Abdul-Samad, stated that the detainees who spent so many years in detention and are sentenced to high terms are hoping that they will be freed under a prisoner swap deal, and called on the Palestinian government to stop all sorts of chaos and insecurity in the Gaza Strip. Also, detainee Ala’ Al Bazian from Jerusalem, said that the detainees are very annoyed and saddened by the unfortunate and deadly internal clashes in the Gaza Strip, adding that such incidents are also affecting the achievement of a prisoner swap deal, and are affecting the image... UK Palestinians in Johnston plea BBC Online 5/14/2007 Leading members of Britain’s Palestinian community have called for the immediate release of kidnapped BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston. The main Palestinian representative in the UK, Manuel Hassassian, was among many taking part in a day of solidarity in London for the reporter. Mr Johnston was abducted at gunpoint in Gaza City on his way home on 12 March, nine weeks ago today. A tape allegedly made by his kidnappers was released last week. Issued by a group calling itself the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), the tape showed the 44-year-old’s BBC ID card, and also demanded the release of Muslim prisoners in British jails. ’He works for us’The solidarity event was held at a Palestinian restaurant in west London. Organisers said they wanted to "send a clear message to his kidnappers that the Palestinian community. 13,625 Palestinians visited imprisoned family members in April, ICRC reports - 4,000 less than in March Ma’an News Agency 5/9/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - 13,625 Palestinians visited 5,963 family members detained in Israeli jails during the month of April, according to the April update from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This represents a drop of over 4,000 visitors compared to March when the ICRC reported that 17,925 Palestinians visited 7,259 relatives in Israeli detention. Detainees and their relatives also exchanged 1,428 messages through the ICRC in April, down from 1,770 messages in March. The ICRC mentions in its April report its particularly concern with the problems faced by Gaza fishermen in accessing the sea. The ICRC has been advocating an extension of the fishing limit from 6 nautical miles to 10nm. This is still 10nm less than what was designated by the Oslo Accords. Sniper acquitted of killing Palestinian sues army Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/9/2007 Marksman demands compensation after military court clears him of all charges in death of Palestinian in 2003. Judges heavily criticize Military Police investigation into incident"For three and half years I’ve lived in a difficult state of uncertainty, I was accused of grave offences I did not commit and everything was done to try to send me to prison. The investigators pressured me relentlessly, they didn’t want to hear me, but in the end the truth was revealed," said Staff Sgt. (res) Artium Agonov on Tuesday after a military court acquitted him of all charges regarding his involvement the death of a Palestinian man in Gaza in 2003. Agonov, a former sniper for the Samson brigade, is now seeking $20,000 in damages to cover his legal fees as well as to compensate for emotional distress and his damaged reputation. Soldiers break into Galboa’ prison IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2007 Monday morning, dozens of Israeli soldiers bro into the Galboa’ Israeli detention facility, attacked rooms of Palestinian political detainees and fired rubber-coated bullets and gas bombs. Nidal added that he saw smoke coming out of the attacked rooms, and saw soldiers carrying stretchers. Soldiers also sounded the sirens and forced the families of the detainees out of the facility. The Mandela Institute, a human rights institute following the cases of the detainees, slammed the Israeli attack and the bad treatment practiced by the soldiers against the detainees and their families. The institute demanded human rights organizations and the Red Cross, to intervene and stop the Israeli violations against the detainees and their families. [end] Court overturns conviction of man involved in attack on Arabs Yuval Yoaz, Ha’aretz 5/7/2007 The High Court of Justice on Monday overturned the attempted murder conviction of Felix Milner, who was involved in a Jewish terrorist attack against Arab-Israelis in Haifa seven years ago. Consequently, the court decided to ease Milner’s sentence, which led to his immediate release from prison. In October 2000, following the lynch of two Israelis by a Palestinian mob in Ramallah, Milner and his friend Danny Tichman took weapons from the army base where Tichman served. The two drove to Jaffa St. in Haifa where Tichman began opening fire at passers-by in a predominantly Arab neighborhood, while Milner continued driving. Four people were injured in the shooting. The Haifa District Court sentenced Milner to ten years in prison for attempted murder as well as a number of other minor charges. Palestinian Prisoners on High alert in Jalbo’e Israeli prison Ghassan Bannoura - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2007 Human right organizations told IMEMC that Palestinian prisoners detained in Jalbo’e Israeli detention camp located in northern Israeli announced a stated of high alert on Monday morning. [end] Detainees in Nafha will hold a hunger strike Tuesday IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2007 Lawyer of Mandela Institute Botheina Douqmaq, visited several detainees in the Nafha Israeli detention facility, and was informed by the detainees that they will hold a one-day hunger strike in protest to the administration’s violation of barring families of detainees in from Khan Younis from visiting their detained family members. The informed her that they are provided with bad food which forces them to buy their own food from the prison canteen for high prices, but due to the financial crisis of the Palestinian Authority and the embargo, they did not receive their allowances from the Ministry of Detainees since January 2007. Prison Administration in Nafha separates the Gaza Strip detainees from the detainees of the West Bank. There are 530 detainees from the Gaza Strip in Nafha and they are separated from... Palestinian detainees subject to torture during Israeli interrogation, Israeli human rights NGOs reveal Ma’an News Agency 5/7/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - Palestinians detained by the Israel Security Agency (ISA) are subject to routine and severe ill-treatment amounting to torture, two Israeli human rights organizations, HaMoked (the Center for the Defense of the Individual) and B’Tselem, have uncovered in a report published 6 May. Based on testimonies from 73 Palestinians interrogated between July 2005 and March 2006, HaMoked and B’Tselem reveal that interrogees suffer appalling conditions during their interrogation. The report mentions routine isolation from the outside world, sensory deprivation "in order to exert psychological pressure and reduce the body’s resistance", and protracted periods during which the interrogees are shackled to a chair. The human rights NGOs add that the interrogees are shackled "in a painful position" and "are subjected to humiliation, swearing and threats by ISA interrogators. Palestinians ’routinely tortured’ in Israeli jails Conal Urquhart in Tel Aviv, The Guardian 5/7/2007 Palestinians detained by Israeli security forces are routinely tortured and ill-treated, according to a new report published by Israeli human rights groups yesterday. The ill-treatment, which includes beatings, sensory deprivation, back-bending, back-stretching and other forms of physical abuse, contravenes international law and Israeli law, the report says. The Centre for the Defence of the Individual and B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, compiled the report after interviewing 73 Palestinians who had been arrested in 2005 and 2006. The report found that almost 50% of detainees who were arrested in raids or at random were beaten by the army or police before they were handed over to the Shin Bet security agency for interrogation. The prisoners were interrogated for an average of 35 days and spent most of their time in tiny cells in solitary confinement. Palestinian Prisoners’ Day in Jenin International Womens’ Peace Service 5/4/2007 House Article 103 -- They met in front of the Red Cross building in Jenin on the morning of April 17th, hundreds of relatives of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons (or “detention camps,” as Palestinians also sometimes call them). They carried framed photos of their detained loved ones and marched to another public square a few kilometres away, at least one woman weeping openly. April 17th marks Palestinian Prisoners’ Day each year, when the Palestinian community remembers those being held in Israeli prisons, often without charge and against the rules of international law. This year saw large rallies and demonstrations in the West Bank cities of Ramallah, Jenin and Nablus. As many as 11,000 Palestinians are currently in Israeli prisons, among them 115 women and up to 400 children, mostly teenaged boys. Utterly Forbidden: The Torture And Ill-Treatment Of Palestinian Detainees In recent years, Israel has openly admitted that ISA (formerly, International Solidarity Movement 5/6/2007 B’tselem and Hamoked - Center for the Defence of the Individual, Summary -- The Legal Framework -- In its ruling from September 1999, the HCJ determined that the ISA did not have legal authority to use "physical means" against interrogees. Pressure and a measure of discomfort are legitimate, according to this judgment, only as a side-effect of the necessities of the interrogation and not as a means for breaking the interrogees’ spirit. However, it was established that ISA agents who abused interrogees in "ticking bomb" situations may avoid prosecution. This ruling implicitly legitimized these severe acts, contrary to international law, which does not acknowledge any exceptions to the prohibition on torture and ill-treatment. The "Softening Up" of Detainees Prior to Interrogation... Human rights groups: Shin Bet still uses torture Nir Hasson, Ha’aretz 5/6/2007 Human rights groups accuse the Shin Bet security forces of continuing to use "irregular" interrogation techniques involving physical measures and torture against Palestinian prisoners, in a report published yesterday. B’Tselem and HaMoked - Center for the Defense of the Individual, write in their joint report that in spite High Court of Justice rulings barring such practices, the Shin Bet continues to use torture. The report, which is based on the testimony of 73 prisoners arrested between July, 2005 and March, 2006, states that "special interrogation methods" that are considered to be torture are not employed frequently, but are used according to standing regulations. The physical abuse, according to the report, includes beating, painful binding, back bending, body stretching and prolonged sleep deprivation. Setting Sail to Break the Siege of Gaza Gaza Free Gaza, International Solidarity Movement 5/6/2007 This summer "“ forty years after the Israeli seizure and occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip "“ international, Palestinian and Israeli civilians will sail to Gaza to challenge Israeli control and isolation of the 1. 4 million Palestinians who live there. The project is intended to awaken the conscience of the nations of the world, who have turned their backs on a people whose human rights, welfare and very existence are being sacrificed to political expediency. Israel says Gaza is no longer occupied, yet it denies Palestinians access to jobs, travel, visitors, commerce, education, health and medical care. Its military has turned the Gaza Strip into an open-air prison controlled by land, sea and air. As a result of draconian restrictions on access to the outside world, Palestinians live on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe. New rooms being built in Negev prison, sources say Ma’an News Agency 5/4/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - Sources in the Negev desert prison (Nafha), in the south of Israel, have reported that the prison administration is building new cement rooms. The sources added that the prison administration is building 40 rooms that can hold up to 500 prisoners. The prison administration is trying to transfer certain sections of prisoners to these rooms, the sources said. More than 600 of the detainees held in the Negev prison are administrative detainees with no charges against them. [end] Soldiers kidnap a female teacher in Hebron Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/3/2007 Israeli soldiers continued their violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, and kidnapped a Palestinian female teacher on Thursday at dawn, after surrounding her home near Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, and breaking into it. On Thursday, soldiers kidnapped twelve Palestinian residents in several areas in the West Bank. The residents were kidnapped during military invasions carried by the army in Nablus, Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah. In a separate incident, Israeli Prison Authorities renewed the Administrative Detention order against resident Ayman Al Darabee’, 31, fromDoura village near Hebron, for additional six months. Al Darabee’ was kidnapped in 2005, and was confined under administaryive detention orders, without charges or trial since then. HRW Calls for Lifting of Travel Ban on Human Rights Defender Report, Electronic Intifada 5/2/2007 The Israeli authorities should immediately lift a travel ban on Shawan Jabarin, the general director of the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, a group of leading international human rights organizations said today. Jabarin was unable to attend the annual Congress of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in Lisbon on April 19, 2007 because Israeli authorities would not allow him to leave the occupied West Bank. The international human rights organizations calling for the lifting of Jabarin’s travel ban include the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint program of the FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), together with Human Rights Watch. Since March 23, 2006, Israeli security officials have refused Jabarin’s requests to travel abroad... Palestinian researcher says Israel is practicing "slow death" on Palestinian prsioners Ma’an News Agency 5/2/2007 Nablus – Ma’an – A Palestinian researcher specialized in prisoners’ affairs accused Israel of practicing a policy of "slow death" on Palestinian prisoners, especially those in the isolation section of Israeli jails. Fuad Al Khoffash said "it was not strange to see Israel practicing all kinds of torture and brutal policy against the prisoners, as the state of Israel was established by power not law, and based on oppression, not justice and fairness. Israel continues this policy in order to destroy the core of the human in the Palestinian people, expecting that by isolating the prisoners from the rest of the world, turning him into a sick, depressed, lonely person, they execute him while alive". He also says that the isolation and punishment imposed by the Israeli authorities intends to humiliate the prisoners in an attempt to break their will. Israeli court of Salem extends detention of Palestinians from Jenin charged with affiliation to Islamic Jihad Ma’an News Agency 5/2/2007 Jenin – Ma’an – The Israeli court of Salem on Wednesday extended the detention of several Palestinian prisoners from Silat al Harithiya, Attil, Al Yamun and Birqin, in Jenin governorate, in the northern West Bank. The court also sentenced Rafiq Kameel from Qabatiya, also near Jenin, to 30 months imprisonment and a 2,000 NIS (~$500 US) fine. According to the attorney, Farid Hawwash, all the prisoners are charged with affiliation to the Islamic Jihad movement. [end] Islamic Jihad leader isolated and tortured for more than four months Ali Samoudi - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2007 Israeli Prison Administration transferred Sheikh Mahmoud Al Sa’adi one of the jailed leaders of the Islamic Jihad, to Majeddo prison, after he spent four months under interrogation and torture at the Al Jalama detention facility. In a letter he managed to smuggle, Al Sa’adi stated that the Israeli intelligence continuously threatened to keep him detained under interrogation after the Israeli security failed to force him to confess to their charges in spite of the torture and isolation for four months." I was kidnapped by the Israeli special forces when the army invaded Jenin, and since then I have been subjected to all sort of physiological and physical torture, I am in solitary confinement, and am barred from changing my clothes or even meet my lawyers", he stated. Islamic Jihad leader isolated and tortured for more than four months Ali Samoudi - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2007 Israeli Prison Administration transferred Sheikh Mahmoud Al Sa’adi one of the jailed leaders of the Islamic Jihad, to Majeddo prison, after he spent four months under interrogation and torture at the Al Jalama detention facility. In a letter he managed to smuggle, Al Sa’adi stated that the Israeli intelligence continuously threatened to keep him detained under interrogation after the Israeli security failed to force him to confess to their charges in spite of the torture and isolation for four months." I was kidnapped by the Israeli special forces when the army invaded Jenin, and since then I have been subjected to all sort of physiological and physical torture, I am in solitary confinement, and am barred from changing my clothes or even meet my lawyers", he stated. Imprisoned illegal waited a year for hernia operation Yuval Azoulay, Ha’aretz 5/1/2007 The authorities are withholding treatment from a young illegal immigrant from Africa who has been suffering from severe pains while incarcerated in Israel, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) maintained in a recent court petition on the prisoner’s behalf. H. was arrested last summer after infiltrating into Israel from Egypt. He had no form of identification upon his arrest, but he told the security forces that he came from Guinea and that he was 17. He was then remanded to the care of the Israel Prison Service (IPS) and incarcerated in Ma’asiyahu Prison in Ramle. Some time after his arrest, H. began complaining of acute pains in his groin. After several months, he was finally diagnosed as suffering from a hernia and has been scheduled to undergo surgery in September. Imprisoned illegal waited a year for hernia operation Yuval Azoulay, Ha’aretz 5/1/2007 The authorities are withholding treatment from a young illegal immigrant from Africa who has been suffering from severe pains while incarcerated in Israel, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) maintained in a recent court petition on the prisoner’s behalf. H. was arrested last summer after infiltrating into Israel from Egypt. He had no form of identification upon his arrest, but he told the security forces that he came from Guinea and that he was 17. He was then remanded to the care of the Israel Prison Service (IPS) and incarcerated in Ma’asiyahu Prison in Ramle. Some time after his arrest, H. began complaining of acute pains in his groin. After several months, he was finally diagnosed as suffering from a hernia and has been scheduled to undergo surgery in September.  Articles
An Open Letter to President Bashar al-Asad Patrick Seale, Middle East Online 5/18/2007 Is this not the moment, Mr. President, to show the world a humane and generous face, and win international support, by turning your attention to the plight of prisoners of conscience, unfairly and cruelly punished by your courts? Dear Mr. President. Friends of Syria -- and I count myself among them -- have been puzzled and saddened by the lengthy jail sentences passed on Syrian political prisoners, human rights activists, and prisoners of conscience. These harsh punishments have attracted worldwide attention and done your country’s reputation great harm. With the greatest respect, I urge you to review these cases and to grant an early amnesty to the prisoners. Anwar al-Bunni is Syria’s leading defender of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. In March 2006, with funding and encouragement from the European Union, he created a Syrian human rights centre. Your security services closed it down almost immediately. Anna’s Blog International Womens’ Peace Service 5/15/2007 A few weeks ago I attended an event commemorating Palestinian Prisoner’s Day at Al Far’a Refugee Camp in the Tubas area. To enter the theatrical and cultural spectacle we had to pass through a makeshift checkpoint with soldiers pointing their guns in our faces and screaming in Hebrew for us to get back. Although I knew these were Palestinian actors role-playing the harassment they experience daily, it was very frightening to have men with guns yell at me in a foreign language and stick killing machines in my face. I realized immediately that although I witness harassment at checkpoints constantly, as a white Jewish American woman of extreme privilege I can never really know what it feels like to go through one as a Palestinian. I suspected the actors had been instructed to especially focus on Western attendees to illustrate some of the abusive behavior we remain so shielded from. It was very effective. Inside the spectacle, hundreds of locals and visitors were watching performers depict typical scenes of interrogation, abuse, and torture of Palestinians in Israeli prisons and detention centers. Some of the actors wore blindfolds, handcuffs, and chains and gave moving monologues about the injustice of abuse and imprisonment without trial in an occupier’s land. Others played Israeli soldiers and guards. After the play as a finale, young Palestinian boys danced Debka to signify cultural pride and continuity in spite of monstrous hardships and injustices. Like an unaccompanied new driver Akiva Eldar, Ha’aretz 5/14/2007 They say Ehud Olmert is actually the victim of an arrogant chief of staff and a negligent army. They say a properly-run country cannot change prime ministers like socks and hold Knesset elections every year. They say haste makes waste and that the guillotine can wait. They say that if Ehud Olmert resigns, he is liable to be replaced by a leader who has not been through a single war. They say early elections will bring Benjamin Netanyahu back into power. And Olmert himself says that he does not have to resign, because resignation "is a demonstration of irresponsibility." Had attorney Ehud Olmert been found guilty of causing the death of passengers who were waiting at a traffic light, he would have sat in prison and been barred from getting behind the wheel for many years. But after his decisions caused the deaths of more than 150 Israeli civilians and soldiers, and hundreds of Lebanese civilians, Olmert continues to sit in the Prime Minister’s Office and to hold the reins of government. Had Olmert been accused of embezzling public funds to benefit his former law partner, he would have been sent to prison and lost his license to practice law, but after the serious conclusions of the Winograd Committee, which he himself appointed, Olmert continues to sit in the Prime Minister’s Office and declares that he would do the same thing today. Report: Majority of surveyed Palestinian prisoners subject to ill-treatment B''Tselem and HaMoked, Electronic Intifada 5/6/2007 The following is the summary of the report Utterly Forbidden: The Torture And Ill-Treatment Of Palestinian Detainees, issued this month by B’Tselem - The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories and HaMoked - Center for the Defence of the Individual: In recent years, Israel has openly admitted that ISA (formerly the General Security Service) interrogators employ "exceptional" interrogation methods and "physical pressure" against Palestinian detainees in situations labeled "ticking bombs". B’Tselem and HaMoked - Center for the Defence of the Individual have examined these interrogation methods and the frequency with which they are used, as well as other harmful practices. The report’s findings are based on the testimonies of 73 Palestinian residents of the West Bank who were arrested between July 2005 and January 2006 and interrogated by the ISA. Although it is not a representative sample, it does provide a valid indication of the frequency of the reported phenomena. LinksAdalah 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. Occupation Prisoners News stories and reports about Palestinian prisoners from International Press Center, of the Palestinian National Authority’s State Information Service. 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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