Palestinian Prisoners

On the 15th August 2004, Palestinian prisoners held in detention centres and prisons run by the Israeli Prison service (IPS) started an open-ended hunger strike in protest against the violations of their human rights and the appalling conditions they are forced to live in. In the first few days the number of strikers rose from 1600 to 2264 prisoners. Marwan Barghouti, who was recently sentenced to serve five consecutive life terms for alleged murder was among those on strike. At its height, 4,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails participated. On the 2nd September a spokesman for the prisoners announced the strike had been called off after Israeli authorities agreed to make some concessions.

Who are the prisoners?
There are about 7500 Palestinians being detained and imprisoned in various Israeli detention facilities.

737 Palestinians are being held under Administrative detention - without charge or trial and for indefinite periods of time. This is illegal according to International Law.

Over 3800 of the Palestinian prisoners are being held in Detention centres and Central prisons run by Israeli Prisons Service (IPS). The hunger strike was limited to prisoners being held in these prisons and detention centres.

380 of the political prisoners are aged 18 and under, 78 of whom are 16 years and under.

There are 106 Palestinian female political prisoners, 20 of whom are mothers and 2 of whom gave birth in prison, with their children remaining in prison with them.

Further Information:

Addameer- Prisoners' Support and Human Rights Association - Statistics
Btselem - Administrative Detention
Palestinian Prisoner Society - Palestinians in Israeli Jails

Why were they on hunger strike?
The prisoners are seeking the support of the international community in its campaign against the gross violations of their rights and against the appalling conditions under which they are being detained. These conditions were highlighted in a report by the Israeli Public Defender's Office in May 2004.

Some of the conditions that the prisoners were protesting against include:

• Arbitrary and indiscriminate beating of prisoners in their cells, in prison courtyards and during transportation to and from prisons.
• Arbitrary and indiscriminate firing of tear gas into prisoners' cells and prison courtyards, and intimidation of prisoners by guards entering their cells with guns.
• Humiliating strip searches of prisoners in full view of other prisoners and guards each time they enter or exit their cells.
• Subjection of prisoners to solitary confinement for excessive periods of time; months and even years.
• Arbitrary imposition of financial penalties on prisoners for minor infractions, arbitrary revocation of visitation rights and extended confinement to cells as punishment for minor infractions such as singing or speaking too loudly.
• Confining children with adult prisoners and political prisoners with criminals
• Withholding or delaying medical treatment and the provision of medication to sick detainees
• Severely restricting the category of family members entitled to visit prisoners thus denying visitation rights to other close family members
• Arbitrary denial of travel permits to family members of prisoners living in the West Bank or Gaza so that they cannot travel to prisons to see their relatives
• Imposing conditions on travel for family members and obstacles that result in travel of a few hours being prolonged to 16 or 17 hours for a 45-minute visit
• Conducting humiliating strip searches of visiting family members even though they are usually separated from the prisoners by a full glass barrier as well as a wire mesh barrier.
• Providing such poor visitation facilities that prisoners find it difficult to see or hear their loved ones
• Maintaining prisoners on near starvation diets that are insufficient to sustain health.
• Applying rules concerning items that prisoners may receive from their families arbitrarily and inconsistently, on the whim of the guards, with each visit.
• Withdrawing studying privileges that in the past allowed prisoners to continue their high school or university studies through correspondence courses

The treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israel violates both international and Israeli laws, as well as rules governing the administration of Israeli prisons.

For full details of the prison conditions see Addameer report -
A summary of the report from the Israeli Public Defenders Office stated that:

Most Prisoners have to sleep on the ground in cramped cells; unsanitary conditions - there is a general lack of separation between showers and toilets; poor ventilation; deprivation of the right to a daily break in open space; weak lighting; telephone and visitation rights limited; problems with clinics and health treatment.

For list of the prisoners' demands click here (list as it was presented to Israeli Prisons Service (IPS) officials prior to the hunger strike. Translated from Arabic by Addameer)

Israeli Government response
When informed by the prisoners of their intended hunger strike prison authorities responded with harsher treatment, vowing not to give in to any of the prisoners' demands even if the hunger strikes result in the deaths of prisoners.

Israel's security minister, Tzahi Hanegbi, has said they would not bow to pressure and the prisoners saying "They can strike for a day, a month, until death. We will ward off this strike and it will be as if it never happened,"

"I reject outright all the terrorists' requests," Hanegbi said on 13th August, claiming that the strike was being organized by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

Psychological tactics were also been used to try and end the strike. Prison officers are setting up barbecues outside cells and have told guards to eat in front of prisoners.

As well as outdoor grills and the baking of extra bread and cakes in prison kitchens, the Israeli authorities banned all family visits and restricted sales of sweets and cigarettes to prisoners.

Prisoners representatives said guards confiscated salt that the inmates intended to use to stop themselves becoming dehydrated.

Sources:
BBC News
Haaretz

Where are the Prisoners detained?

There are several types of detention facilities:

• Regular Civil Prisons (Central Prisons)
• Interrogation Centres
• Military Detention Centres (Provisional Detention Centres)
• Military Detention Camps
• Police Stations

By location, they are situated either within 1967 occupied territories or outside. All Civil Prisons (sometimes they are called Central Prisons) are located outside 1967 occupied territories. Some of these hold only sentenced prisoners while others include both sentenced and those with pending trials (some times called Detention Centers).

Contact Addameer for more details about the types and locations - addameer@planet.edu

How you can help:

The families of the Palestinian political prisoners launched an appeal urging the members of the international community, to join in solidarity with their sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters who are being held in Israeli prisons by organizing an International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners on September 4, 2004.

• to demonstrate, march, hold silent vigils or activities to publicize the plight of the political prisoners and bring pressure on the government of Israel to cease these violations of law and to treat Palestinian prisoners as human beings entitled to basic human rights.
• to register your protests by letter, fax, email, or telephone to the officials listed below. Ask them to stop the harsh treatment of Palestinian political prisoners and to accede the demands of the striking prisoners so that the conditions under which they are imprisoned are consistent with international norms of human rights and basic decency.
• to register your protest with your own political representatives and governments ministers.
• Please send a copy of your protest message to alhureih@yahoo.com

Messages of support from organizations would also be appreciated by the prisoners and their families. Please send them to the same address with some details of the organization.

For more information visit our temporary website at www.palsolidarity.org/prisoners or telephone (972) 2 277 4602 or email: info@palsolidarity.org

With much appreciation for your valued support, Mahmoud Ziadi, General Secretariat, Families of Palestinian Political Prisoners PO Box 2151, Ramallah, Palestine.

List of Israeli government officials:

• Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon
  Office of the Prime Minister
  3 Kaplan St.
  PO Box 187
  Jerusalem 91919
  Israel
  Telegram: Prime Minister, Jerusalem Israel
  Fax: +972 2 6705475
  email: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il
  
  
• Minister of Defense, Shaul Mofaz Ministry of Defense
  37 Kaplan St.
  Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
  Fax: +972-3-6962757 / -691 7915
  email: sar@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov.il
  
  
• Minister of Justice, Yosef Lapid
  Ministry of Justice
  29 Salah al-Din St.
  Jerusalem 91010, Israel
  Telegram: Justice Minister, Jerusalem Israel
  Fax: +972 2 6285492
  email: sar@justice.gov.il
  
  
• Minister of Interior Security Tzahi Haneghi
  Kiryat Hamemshala, POB 18182
  Jerusalem 91181
  Tel: 972-2-5309999
  Fax: 2-5847872
  email: sar@mops.gov.il

Addresses of Israeli embassies worldwide can be found at www.embassyworld.com/embassy/isreal1.htm or go to the Government of Israel website at www.info.gov.il/FirstGov/

Useful Links

Addameer Prisoners' Support and Human Rights Association
http://www.addameer.org/

Families of Palestinian Political Prisoners Committee - Temporary website
http://www.palsolidarity.org/prisoners

Palestinian Prisoners Society
http://www.ppsmo.org/e-website/index.htm

Btselem
http://www.btselem.org/English/Administrative_Detention/Statistics.asp

Palestine Monitor - Fact Sheet
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/new_web/factsheet_prisoners.htm

UN Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights - Question of the violation of human rights in the Occupied Arab Territories, including Palestine September 2003
Section VI: on Prisoners
http://www.unhchr.ch/pdf/chr60/ECN420046%5BAE%5D.doc

Physicians for Human Rights - Israel
http://www.phr.org.il/Phr/Pages/PhrArticle_Unit.asp?Cat=149&Pcat=4

Ministry of Detainees Affairs - Statistical Report - MAY 2004- The Palestinian Detainees in Israeli Jails
http://www.ppsmo.org/e-website/Press04/E-005-04.htm

Past News Stories on Prisoner Issues - from International Middle East Media Centre
http://www.imemc.org/archive/prisoners.htm