Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, December 2001, page 25

Special Report

 

11 Female Palestinian Detainees in Israel, Three Under 15, Suffer Appalling Conditions in Neve Tirza Prison, Al Ramleh

Eleven female Palestinian detainees in Al Ramleh Prison have filed a complaint regarding their situation at the hands of the prison warden administration. LAW’s attorney, Safwat Younis, met the 11 detainees and took note of their complaints.

The detainees explained the prison administration wardens inspect their cells and perform body searches. The detainees also stated that the wardens chain their hands and legs. Attorney Younis noticed chain marks on some of the detainees. They added that they had been put in solitary confinement, after the detainees’ representative, Amneh Muna, was transferred on Sept. 13, 2001, from Al Ramleh to another prison. In light of this the prisoners went on strike. In an attempt to stop the strike, the prison administration began to maltreat the detainees.

Complaints were also made about the lack of clothes, sheets, towels and stationery. The prison administration also deliberately delays handing mail and journals to the detainees, and family visits are prevented for extended periods of time.

 

List of detainees:

• Sumayya Abed, from Ramallah, arrested on Aug. 3, 2001 for stabbing a soldier at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. Given a two-year sentence.

• Nisreen Taha, from Bidya in Salfeet, arrested on March 24, 1998 for stabbing a settler, threatening and beating a warden, sentenced to four years and three months. Taha stated to LAW’s attorney that she had been tortured and chained to a bed twice, from 9:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. the following day.

• Iman Ghizawi, 26, from Nablus, arrested on Aug. 3, 2001 for planting bombs at the central bus station in Tel Aviv. Transferred from Al Jalmeh prison on Sept. 16, 2001. Since being held at Al Ramleh prison, Ghizawi has been subjected to torture and has been chained twice, on the first occasion for roughly 12 hours. Ghizawi was forbidden from using the toilet for eight days and her possessions were confiscated. Attorney Safwat Younis noticed chain marks on the detainee’s hands and legs.

• Maha Al Ak, 24, from Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, arrested on July 27, 2000 for stabbing a soldier. Al Ak has been subjected to torture, and both her legs and hands were tightly enchained for approximately eight hours until they bled. Al Ak was put in solitary confinement and all her possessions were confiscated. The detainee was also prevented from using the toilet, given hot water for drinking, and lights were put on in her cell at night. The lawyer also noticed chain marks on her legs and hands.

• Suna Al Ra’i, 33, from Qalqilia, arrested on April 13, 1997 for shooting soldiers, was sentenced to 12 years. Al Ra’i spent six days in solitary confinement during October and has been refused family visits for a year and two months. The wardens have been subjecting Al Ra’i to psychological torture and it has become apparent that she needs a psychologist, although this request has been refused.

• Sawsan Abu Turki, 14, from Hebron, arrested on Sept. 6, 2001 for attempted murder. Abu Turki is now detained and awaiting trial. The detainee was admitted to Al Ramleh prison three weeks ago, and has been subjected to torture. Her hands are chained during the night. She has also been prevented from using the toilet for eight days. Medication used to treat an eye infection has also been refused. Abu Turki was also held in solitary confinement for several days, and Attorney Safwat Younis noticed chain marks on her legs and hands.

• Wijdan Bujiyeh, 22, from Hebron, arrested on Feb. 25, 2001 for stabbing a soldier. The detainee has been tortured and chained twice for seven continuous hours; both plastic chains and metal chains were used on the detainee. She stated that her veil had covered her face while she was chained and caused her to suffocate. The wardens did not attempt to help her. Chain marks were apparent on the detainee’s legs and hands.

• Rab’a Hamayel, 14, from Nablus, arrested on May 28, 2001 for stabbing a soldier inside the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem. Hamayel has been in solitary confinement for 27 days. Her hands and legs have been chained on several occasions for an extended number of hours.

• Su’ad Ghazal, 18, from Sebastia in Nablus, was arrested on Dec. 13, 1998 for stabbing a settler, and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. Ghazal stated that she had been held in solitary confinement since Sept. 13, 2001 and that both her legs and hands were chained on several occasions for an extended number of hours. She was also forbidden from using the toilet for eight days and subjected to lights at night, preventing her from sleeping.

• Abeer Amru, from Hebron, arrested on Feb. 22, 2000 for stabbing a soldier in Hebron. Amru stated that she and her fellow inmates were subjected to various means of torture since the detainees’ representative Amneh was transferred on Sept. 13, 2001. Amru said that she was also chained several times for extended hours. Detainees also stated they were subjected to lights preventing them from sleeping, as well as loud music and solitary confinement.

• Sana’ Amru, 15, from Hebron, arrested on Feb. 20, 2000 for stabbing a soldier in Hebron with her sister Abeer. Sentenced to one-year imprisonment. After Amneh’s transfer Amru was elected by the prisoners as representative to the prison administration. Amru stated that she was tortured following Amneh’s transfer, chained four times for over 10 hours each time, prevented from using the toilet for eight days, given hot drinking water, subjected to bright lights and loud music at night to prevent her from sleeping, and placed in a solitary confinement.

LAW Society, after confirming that the 11 female Palestinian prisoners have been subjected to torture and maltreatment, expresses its deep concern about the continuation of these measures carried out by the Israeli prison administration and the General Security Apparatus interrogators (Shabak) against Palestinian prisoners. These measures are in violation of international human rights’ standards and the 4th Geneva Convention concerning prisoners in time of war. These measures also violate the Israeli High Court decision issued Sept. 6, 2001, banning the use of torture against Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. These measures include sleep deprivation and detention in uncomfortable conditions. This [High Court] decision was arrived at in an attempt to stop the excuses used by the Israelis for many years to justify these measures.

What most concerns LAW is the presence of three detainees under the age of 15. This is a violation of Articles 37 and 38 of the Covenant on the Rights of the Child.

LAW calls on the international community to demand that Israel comply with all relevant international agreements and to urgently intervene to provide protection for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, especially child detainees.

WRMEA'S editor footnote:

The Convenant on the Rights of the Child reflects a global consensus and, in a very short period of time, it has become the most widely accepted human rights treaty ever. It has been ratified by 191 countries; only two countries have not ratified. The United States, which has signalled its intention to ratify by formally signing the Convention, now stands as the only industrialized country in the world and one of only two United Nations member States yet to make this legal commitment to children. The other country is Somalia, which is presently without a recognized government.

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