28 November 1997

On Thursday 27 November, a lawyer from LAW society visited prisoners in Nafha prison to discuss conditions after clashes which occurred between the prison guards and prisoners on the 11 November. Following the clashes, the prison administration refused medical attention for one day to four prisoners who had been injured. The prison administration also suspended family visits until 12 December, placed 20 prisoners in isolation, reduced the time prisoners were allowed out of their cells and prohibited the movement of prisoners between different sections. Representatives of the prisoners told LAW that they would begin a hunger strike unless these punitive measures were removed and conditions were improved in the prison.

In recent weeks Palestinian prisoners have undertaken protests against the conditions in several prisons. Yesterday, 120 administrative detainees in Adamon Prison announced the end of their 8 day hunger strike after reaching agreement with the prison authorities for an improvement in their conditions and the return of two prisoners, Sharwan Jabareen and Omar Barghouti, who had been taken to Al Jamali prison during the strike.

In Ramleh detention center, administrative detainee Ataf Ilayan has entered her 38th day on hunger strike. Ms. Ilayan was arrested on 21 October and is the only woman among the 500 Palestinian administrative detainees currently incarcerated in Israeli prisons without charge or trial.

LAW condemns the aggressive measures taken against all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and calls for a lifting of the measures implemented by the prison authorities following the clashes in Nafha prison. LAW requests the immediate intervention of the international community to pressure the Israeli government to improve the conditions in Israeli jails and charge or release those prisoners held illegally in administrative detention. Please contact the following 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

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.