PALESTINIAN ADMINISTRATIVE DETAINEES IN ASHKALON PRISON HELD IN ISOLATION:

WISAM RAFIDI RECEIVES SIXTH EXTENSION OF DETENTION

15 November, 1995

Yesterday, Palestinian administrative detainees in Ashkalon prison informed attorney Allegra Pacheco of the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights that they are being held in the isolation wing of the prison where prisoners are sent for punishment. This is in total violation of international law which prohibits the use of administrative detention as a punitive measure. Because they are held in this special section, the detainees are prohibited from entering other sections of the prison and to meet with prisoners. In addition, the detainees are subject to very strict regulations regarding searches and walks in the yard. The isolation cell is 36 square meters (including the toilet) and eight bunk bed. The cell is poorly ventilated, humid and mildew covers parts of the walls.

The detainees stated that they submitted letters to the prison administration demanding an improvement of their conditions. They also demanded the right to continue working in their profession and support their families as mandated under international law. (Since administrative detainees are considered of civilian status and not as prisoners, international law guarantees detainees the right to continue with their profession while in detention.) The detainees demanded professional books, computers, tools, materials and the right to receive files and orders from clients. The detainees also appealed to the prison administration to have more family visits, telephone privileges, open family visits without a partition and further hours outside. Because of the persistence of the detainees in demanding their rights, the prisons director Shimon Gabai told the detainees that they are causing him too much trouble and he will request their transfer.

Two days ago, Wisam Rafidi's administrative detention was extended for another six months, making this his sixth extension. Rafidi, 36 years old, has been in administrative detention for almost three years. In 1993, forty days after he finished a three year prison sentence, Rafidi was arrested by the Israeli security forces and has remained in administrative detention since.

LAWE- The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights protests strongly the continued detention of Palestinian political prisoners. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupying power may administratively detain a person as a preventative measure for a short period when no other security measures are available. In light of the fact that more than half of the Palestinian administrative detainees are serving their second extensions, this "short period" of time has clearly expired. The continued long-term detentions, like the case of Wisam Rafidi, have no preventative basis at all. Rather the Israeli security services are administratively detaining the detainees for their political activities and opinions against the implementation of the Oslo Agreements; views held today by most Palestinians and prominent members of the Israeli government.

LAWE calls on all the international, Israeli and Palestinian communities to demand an end to the continued extensions of the administrative detention orders. LAWE calls on the Israeli government to abide by international law and provide the detainees with all the rights they are entitled to.

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LAWE-The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organization, dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAWE is also an affiliate member of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.