Report on Palestinian Prisoners as of 29 September 2000 - 1 November 2000
Beginning on 29 September 2000, the first day of unprecedented violence and clashes in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and 1948 Palestinian areas, mass arrest campaigns have been routinely conducted by the Israeli security forces and police. These arrest campaigns have not only targeted Palestinians living in the occupied Palestinian territories, but also included on a large scale Palestinians living within 1948 Palestinian areas, targeting those who allegedly participated in recent protests against Israeli occupation.
The Israeli authorities have recently admitted to the fact that they have been using special under-cover units within 1948 Palestinian areas to infiltrate the Palestinian community, identify and arrest individuals. Statements reveal that the unit's activity was "similar to operations carried out by comparable mistaravim undercover IDF and Border Police personnel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Umm al Fahm undercover agents belonged to a Border Police unit which is deployed in northern areas…" (See Haaretz Article"Border Police go undercover in Umm al Fahm during unrest", by Sharon Gal, 25 October 2000). This unit's assignment is to work among Palestinian protesters, monitor them and collect information to reveal the identity of those most active and those individuals participating while wearing masks, in order to arrest them in the future.
The Israeli authorities have announced that they have arrested more than 450 Palestinians from Jerusalem and from within 1948 Palestinian areas. The number of Palestinians arrested in the West Bank and Gaza is difficult to ascertain, as the Israeli authorities have not announced exact numbers. Human rights organizations are experiencing extreme difficulties in documenting arrests as a result of the strict Israeli closure placed on the occupied Palestinian territories.
It has become evident that the Israeli police and the General Prosecution are actively working together in conducting arrest campaigns and presenting charges against detainees primarily related to stone throwing. The Israeli judicial system is clearly in full support of and is facilitating these mass arrest campaigns, as the sentences for these charges has become relatively higher. The vast majority of detainees against whom charges are brought are imprisoned until all legal proceedings against them are completed. The release on bail of these detainees has been prohibited, further pointing the finger of implication of the support of Israel's judicial system of these arrest campaigns. The Israeli High Court of Justice, presided by Judge 'Heshin', stated that in such situations detainees may not be released on bail, even if they are minors.
Cases of Physical Abuse
Palestinians who have been detained recently are being beaten and
subjected to torture during their detention and interrogation. One
such case is being followed up by Addameer, that of 15 year old
Iyad Kayed Qaymari, who was arrested in Shu'faat Refugee Camp
in Jerusalem. At the time of his arrest, Iyad was subjected to
torture, severely beaten all over his body. 16 year old Usama
Ahmad Abu Zeina was also subjected to torture by severe beating
during his arrest. In an affidavit, Usama stated that one of the
Israeli soldiers who arrested him forcibly held his right leg straight
up while another soldier beat him on the same leg with a baton and
the back of his machine gun. The beating resulted in severe
swelling in his right foot, after which he was denied by his
interrogators proper medical attention or transfer to a hospital for
medical care. His leg was simply bandaged by a nurse at the
interrogation centre. In each case, both Iyad and Usama were
later released without charge or trial.
As'ad Zeid, 36 years old from Jalazoun Refugee Camp, Ramallah was arrested by Israeli soldiers and subjected to severe beating over his entire body. At least one of his ribs was broken as a result of the beating. As'ad was denied access to medical care and was refused an x-ray to determine if any damage was done to his chest, despite the fact that he was vomiting blood. Following his release, As'ad sought medical care, and is currently experiencing medical complications.
Tareq Ziadeh, 17 years old, was also subjected to severe beating over his entire body and tortured while blindfolded during his arrest.
Two brothers from the Sa'dieh neighbourhood in the Old City of Jerusalem, Salah Eddin Abu Farha, 25 years old and Naser Eddin Abu Farha, 31 years old, were arrested and beaten by Israeli police. Naser was severely beaten and tortured during his arrest. Israeli police later released them both without charge or trial, and without justification for the brutal behaviour inflicted on them.
Mohammad Zeid Adib Masroojeh, 23 years old from Nablus and a driver for a Palestinian Minister, was stopped at an Israeli checkpoint and arrested. After his arrest he was subjected to severe beating and torture, causing swelling in several parts of his body and severe internal bleeding in his kidneys. He was admitted to an Israeli hospital, where he remained for two days for medical attention, after which he was transferred back to prison, despite the fact that medical reports stated that he required further medical attention.
Failure of Israeli authorities to offer information on detentions
On the afternoon of Wednesday 18 October 2000, 30 year old Ali
Alqam from Ramallah left his house to visit his fiancée in Al Ram.
He had intended to continue on to his work in Jericho after the visit.
He called a taxi from Ramallah to take him to his fiancée's home.
The taxi driver, a friend of the family, arrived to pick him up, but
Ali
did not appear. The taxi driver called Ali's family asking where Ali
was, after which his family called his fiancée's home to see if he
had gone on his own. When they didn't find him there they called
his work in Jericho in search of him, only to be informed that he
had not gone to work. Taking into consideration the overall
situation of Israeli soldiers and settlers attacking Palestinians on
main roads and farmers in their orchards, Ali's family, fiancée and
friends became concerned for his well-being and began searching
for him, including contacting Addameer. Addameer's lawyer,
Advocate Sahar Francis, began searching for him in Israeli prisons,
detention and interrogation centres. One of the detention centres
Addameer's lawyer contacted was the Russian Compound (Al
Muscobiyeh) Interrogation Centre, which informed her on 19
October at 3:30 PM that they did not have anyone by that name at
the interrogation centre. Ali's fiancée, who holds a Jerusalemite
identity card, went to the interrogation centre in Jerusalem on 20
October, where she was finally informed that Ali was being
detained there. It took over 24 hours to locate Ali. At that point,
all
the family could hope for was to discover that Ali was alive. The
news of his arrest was a sort of relief to his family, in light of the
very real possibility that he could have been kidnapped, killed by
Israeli settlers, or lying in a hospital bed, dead or injured by
Israeli
soldiers.
Addameer was officially denied information of Ali's whereabouts, and would not have known of his arrest had his fiancée not gone down to the detention centre herself and accidentally received confirmation of his arrest from one of the guards, who prohibited her from visiting him. At the same time that his fiancée was finally being informed that Ali was arrested, the Israeli authorities were telling other organisations that they were not holding Ali at the Russian Compound. The Israeli organisation HAMOKED, who were also informed that Ali was not arrested, called the Russian Compound after being told by Ali's fiancée that he was there, demanding an explanation. They were not given clear or convincing justification. Four days later, Addameer's lawyer finally obtained permission to visit Ali. During the visit, the lawyer noted bruises along Ali's forehead and when she asked him about it, he explained that he had been severely beaten when he was arrested and that he had been subjected to torture and abuse throughout his interrogation. Throughout his interrogation, Ali was continuously and without interruption questioned, tortured and prevented from sleeping for at least three days.
Detention of minors
On 2 November, Advocate Sahar Francis visited section 9 of
Telmond prison, designated for political prisoners who are minors,
which currently holds 31 Palestinian minors from the West Bank,
Jerusalem, 1948 Palestinian areas and from the occupied Golan
Heights, detained before 29 September. Minors who were arrested
after 29 September, including between 20 to 25 detainees, have
been placed in cells in other sections of the prison designated for
minors who are being detained on criminal charges. The Israeli
Prisons Administration claims that they are not responsible the
current distribution of Palestinian political prisoners who are minors
amongst criminal detainees, but rather that the Israeli judicial
system is to blame as these minors have been distributed in cells
according the classification of charges that have been brought
against them on their charge sheets.
The danger of placing young political prisoners amongst criminal prisoners is the fact that many of these detainees, between the ages of 14 and 16 years, are being subjected to aggressive behaviour from these criminal detainees and suffer from regular attacks by them. The majority of these minors are being arrested for the first time, based on the charge of stone throwing. There is a great fear that these minors will be negatively effected by their environment and be influenced towards criminal behaviour as a result.
Prison conditions faced by Palestinian minors
Palestinian minors detained in section 9 of Telmond prison are
being faced with extremely difficult prison conditions. The prison
administration has isolated and closed off sections holding
Palestinian political prisoners, permitting only two cells at a time to
leave their cells for a period of only one hour. Family visits have
been prohibited, effecting these minors psychologically and
diminishing their morale. The prevention of family visits also limits
the availability of items from the canteen within the prison, as the
minors do not have the money that their families bring for them to
purchase basic necessities.
Approximately one month ago, detainee Nasser Ibrahim Zaid, 17 years old from Al Jalazoune Refugee Camp, formally requested to be transferred to Megiddo Prison. No response was given to his request by the prison authorities. There is an intentionally vague policy from the prison administration to deal with such requests, allowing for the study of the request for an extended period of time and no designated time period for a response. When Nasser demanded an explanation from the director of the prison concerning his request, a shouting match occurred between him and the section officer. As a result, he was transferred to Ramleh prison and placed in solitary confinement in an underground cell. He was prohibited from taking any clothes or personal effects with him and placed in a very small cell, 2 meters long and 1 meter wide, with a very small window with several layers of steel grids on it. Behind the window is a wall, so no light comes into the cell.
Nasser was left in solitary confinement for 13 consecutive days, prohibited from leaving the cell for any purpose. After 13 days, Nasser began an open ended hunger strike, causing him severe health problems, including low blood pressure and dizziness. When he was taken out of the cell and transferred back to Telmond Prison, cuffed by both his hands and legs and to another policeman, he was again placed in solitary confinement. He resumed his hunger strike. A prison nurse examined him upon his arrival at Telmond, who requested that the detainee be brought to the prison medical clinic because of his low blood pressure. However, the next day Israeli guards and police refused to allow him to go to the clinic and he remained in solitary confinement. Only when his health situation worsened considerably was he allowed to be taken to the clinic, and then the next day returned to a regular cell.
Administrative detainees
The use of administrative detention, detention without charge or
trial for unlimited periods of time, has been re-implemented by the
Israeli authorities following 29 September. Four Palestinians have
been placed under administrative detention after the recent
clashes, including: Ahmad Daoud Afaneh, from Abu Dis, who was
placed under administrative detention on 17 October 2000;
Muhammad Aqel Muhammad Halaseh, from Abu Dis, who was
placed under administrative detention on 19 October 2000; Usama
Hasan Razeq Abu Hilal, from Abu Dis, who was placed under
administrative detention on 19 October 2000; Attallah Ahmad
Mousa Halabieh, from Abu Dis, who was placed under
administrative detention on 19 October 2000.
In addition to the renewal of administrative detention, a number of Palestinian prisoners who were placed in administrative detention prior to 29 September have had their administrative detention order renewed. The total number of Palestinians under administrative detention is 10, including:
The use of torture against Palestinian detainees
Despite an Israeli High Court of Justice order in September 1999
banning the use of torture during interrogation of Palestinian
detainees, the Israeli authorities continue to use torture as a form
on interrogation on Palestinian detainees. Based on visits by
Addameer's advocate Sahar Francis to Israeli interrogation centres,
the following forms of torture are still being implemented:
Beatings: Palestinian detainees are being beaten at the time of their arrest, whether from Israeli checkpoints or from their homes. A number of cases have been documented in which detainees have had broken bones, or have suffered from medical difficulties as a result of being beaten.
Position Abuse (Shabeh): Palestinian detainees are placed in painful positions during interrogation, usually handcuffed to very small chairs in uncomfortable positions, for periods of time exceeding 24 continuous hours.
Collaborator Cells: The use of collaborators cells to obtain confessions from Palestinian detainees has become a more widespread form of interrogation. Palestinian detainees are placed in cells with collaborators and are then threatened and abused, at times tricked into confessing to actions in which charges can be brought against them.
Sleep Depravation: Israeli interrogators subject Palestinian detainees to long sessions of interrogation that exceed in some cases 48 continuous hours, where interrogators work in shifts in order exhaust the detainee and prevent him from sleeping.
Palestinian detainees have regularly been prevented from lawyer visits, with legal counsel being denied for periods of 20-30 consecutive days. Appeals by lawyers to the Israeli High Court of Justice demanding that they be allowed to visit detainees have been regularly rejected. Of the 62 cases of interrogation taken by Advocate Sahar Francis on behalf of Addameer during the year 2000, denial of legal counsel has been documented 62 times for an average period of 20 to 30 days.
General Prison Conditions
The Israeli security forces have recently transferred all criminal
prisoners from Al Jalameh Prison to Hadarim Prison in order to
make enough room at Al Jalameh prison for Palestinain political
prisoners who have been and continue to be arrested since the
beginning of clashes.
The general conditions in Israeli prisons as they relate to Palestinian political prisoners are extremely bad. The Israeli General Administration of Prisons announced an emergency situation after the clashes began, claiming that Palestinian prisoners may attempt actions in support of the uprising taking place outside the prison walls. One example of this is the isolation and separation of sections from one another in 'Asqalan prison. The same was done at Shatta prison. Frequent search raids in prisoner's cells have become common practice.
Cancellation of family visits and lawyer's permits
Family visits to Palestinian prisoners have all been cancelled as a
result of
the strict Israeli closure imposed on all Palestinian areas. This in
itself
causes severe psychological trauma to both Palestinian prisoners and
their
families, as family visits are their only way of contact to the outside
world.
Without these visits, prisoners have no way of knowing of the safety
of family
members during these horrifying times. The cancellation of family
visits also
limits the amount of food and necessary supplies available to prisoners
as
families are the main source supplying the prisoners' needs.
It is important to note that all Palestinian prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons inside 1948 Palestinian areas. The imprisonment of Palestinian prisoners in prisons located within 1948 Palestinian areas is in absolute contravention of international conventions that stipulate that an occupying power is forbidden to move civilians from the territories it is occupying to its territory.
Families of Palestinian prisoners normally need to obtain special permit by the Israeli authorities in order to be able to travel to the prisons. The placing of the strict closure by Israel automatically cancels these permits, unilaterally preventing family visits. Families will have to go through the very long and humiliating procedure of obtaining new permits if the closure is lifted. If they are able to apply for the permits, it will take a long period of time before they actually receive the permits. In addition, Palestinian lawyers are also now prohibited from visiting prisoners and following up on cases as all lawyers' permits have been cancelled.return to top