November 11

LAW expresses grave concern over the deteriorating health of administrative detainee Ataf Ilayan, currently on hunger strike in an Israeli prison. Ms. Ilayan was arrested on 21 October when she entered the still Israeli-occupied Area C of the West Bank while traveling from Bethlehem to Abu Dis (near Jerusalem). Ms. Ilayan is the only woman among the 500 Palestinian administrative detainees currently incarcerated in Israeli prisons without charge or trial.

Ms. Ilayan declared a hunger strike 21 days ago in protest over her arbitrary imprisonment. Her condition has seriously deteriorated over the last two days. She was transferred from Telmond prison in northern Israel to the Ramleh Detention Center in Neve Tirza, where she remains in critical condition.

Over 200 Palestinians protested in Bethlehem on Monday, demanding the release of Ilayan. Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring 4.

Ms. Ilayan was one of five Palestinian women whom the Israeli authorities refused to release, contrary to the Oslo agreements. Following this refusal, Palestinian women prisoners carried out wide-spread protests and boycotted their release. The Israeli authorities finally decided to fulfill their obligation to free all women Palestinian prisoners 14 months later. Ms. Ilayan, after 10 years imprisonment, was released with the rest of the women on 30 January 1997.

LAW considers the ongoing Israeli policy of administrative detention as a violation of international law and as arbitrary and unjust. LAW requests the immediate intervention of the international community before Ms. Ilayan’s health deteriorates further. Please contact the following to demand that the Israeli Government charge or release Ms. Ilayan and all the administrative detainees. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu (972) (2) 566 4838, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Levy (972) (2) 530 3506, Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai (972) (3) 691 6940. Electronic mail to: Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu: pm@pmo.gov.il, the Office of the Prime Minister: feedback@pmo.gov.il, and the Israeli Government Press Office: gpo@pmo.gov.il, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: ask@israel-info.gov.il.

** For full information about Palestinian administrative detainees and prisoners in Israeli jails, visit LAW’s web site at: http://www.birzeit.edu/lawe/prisoner.

LAW - 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. LAW is also an affiliate member of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.