April 24, 2011


Friends of Humanity International releases detailed report about the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails in the last year 2010. The organization has also confirmed that this year was unusual to the Palestinian prisoners. More than 130 brutal and humiliating intrusions executed by the Israeli Prison service and forces against the Palestinians rooms and tents in many jails. Meanwhile its following up to intrusive operations, the rightful band documentized big amount of hostilities and brutal inspections assaulted by the Israeli prison service units and special forces on the prisoners rooms and tents which can be accounted as follows:

- Launching tear-gas to suffocate prisoners.

- Beating prisoners using electronic sticks.

- Confiscating prisoners possessives and belongings.

- Isolating some prisoners in individual isolating cells.

- Executing random transferring to prisoners from a prison to others as happened to Hadareem jail prisoners in which Israeli prison service units intruded and oppressed prisoners then transfer them from section 3 to section 5.

- Moreover, Israeli prisons security units destroyed walls on rooms and shifted all prisoners to a lifeless section with even no basics of living. Israeli prison authorities alleged that they were looking for forbidden-smuggled mobiles.

The same brutal intrusion and suppression has been repeatedly executed against prisoners in Nafha jail, in which hundreds of long-terms and life imprisonments-sentences prisoners detained in. Thus, dozens of prison security units aggressively intruded the jail many times. They attacked and humiliate prisoners to the extent that the jail officer calls one prisoner's wife which waged a furious uprising among prisoners inside the jail.

Later, the prison administration has presented apology on this immoral behavior and promised to open an investigation to this accident.

Reemon Jail is another grief story. The chief of this prison is constantly humiliating and degrading prisoners throughout frequent mid-night inspections and suppression to prisoner rooms by which pushed prisoners to warn higher Jail authorities that a special escalation and procedures will be protested against this brutal chief if he continues his provocative and humiliating intrusions and hostilities against prisoners in Reemon jail.

Correspondingly, the organization confirmed registering many constant intrusions by the Israeli special forces to the Palestinian female prisoners' rooms for the sake of provocative frequent inspections and humiliations. This disgustingly occurs in front of a queue of Israeli soldiers in the time of inspection. Lately, the Israeli Prison service has escalated humiliating and provocating all Palestinians prisoners in all jails through adapting abrupt assault and intrusion to prisoners' rooms and confiscating their possessives and belongings by which made life of prisoners instable and incontinent.

Hence, regarding the usual techniques of inspections and suppression, the organization has published a precise description of jails intrusions and inspection that executed by special security forces called Mitsada or Nakhshoon. These special forces frequently intrudes and attack prisoners rooms and tents in path of inspecting or looking for forbidden materials or escape dug-tunnels. They aggressively and inhumanly intrude rooms and tie prisoners blocking them in a place then hold a very accurate inspection to everything in the rooms. They inspect electric-light bottoms, beds, clothes, WC even TV. They open it and make sure prisoners haven't hid anything inside it.

Accordingly, the organization has clarified that number of Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails reached 6600 prisoner in the last year as follows:

· 35 Palestinian female prisoners.

· 9 Palestinian legislative council members.

· 270 kids and children under 18 age in which international laws forbidden arresting them.

· % 79 of prisoners is already sentenced.

· 820 prisoners have been sentenced to life imprisonment or even duple or triple life imprisonments.

· 5 Palestinian female prisoners were sentenced to life imprisonment.

· 307 prisoners arrested by the Israeli occupying forces before Oslo Agreement for Peace that was signed by Palestinian and Israeli parts in 1993. These prisoners are commonly called, old prisoners.

· 120 prisoners have eventually spent more than 20 years in the Israeli jails.

· 3 prisoners have spent more than 30 years in the Israeli jails, they are: Nael Al Barghouthy, Fakhri Al Barghouthy and Akram Mansour.

· More than 1000 prisoners are prevented to obtain the right of family visit in jails.

Vienna, April 23, 2011

FRIENDS OF HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL / HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION Hirschstettnerstrasse
19-21/D00, 1220 Vienna , Austria Tel : 0043 1 2028501, Fax: 0043 1 2028547
www.friendsofhumanity.info
- mfi.info@aon.at

The Israeli occupying government has arrested around one fourth of the Palestinian population currently residing in Palestine (25%). There is no one single family that didn’t experience the arrest of one of its members. The majority of those detained are male, which constitutes over 40% of the total male Palestinian Population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). This makes Palestinians the most imprisoned peoples on earth.

Since Israel began its illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, more than 650,000 Palestinians have been detained, representing approximately twenty percent of the current total Palestinian population in the Occupied Territories. Israel has illegally detained Palestinian men, women and children through an extensive and systematic set of regulations that control every aspect of Palestinian life. They restrict or deny their basic human rights. Moreover, the conditions of the prisons and treatment of prisoners are horrendous, violating numerous international laws. The Israeli military, which governs the Occupied Territories, constantly changes or issues new military orders that are often unknown to local populations until implemented. Palestinian prisoners are then subject to Israeli military tribunals, which rarely follow required international standards of fair trial. Palestinians not only live under an illegal occupation, but also under an unstable and unjust system of law and order.

The majority of Palestinian political prisoners are charged with offenses under Israeli military orders. There are approximately 1,500 military regulations that govern the West Bank, and 1,400 enforced Gaza before Israel’s withdrawal from that area in 2005.These orders carry a broad definition of "security" and they ban, amongst other things, political expression. For example, according to Military order 101 it is forbidden to conduct a protest march or meeting (grouping of ten or more where the subject concerns or is related to politics) without permission of the Military Commander". The distribution of political articles and pictures with "political connotations" is also forbidden under the same order.

Israeli policies towards its prisoners routinely violate international law. Torture has become an endemic problem within Israeli prisons and increasing numbers of children are beginning to end up in Israeli jails. These general trends are areas of growing concern as they have remained unabated for decades. While there is a general problem facing Palestinians in Israeli prisons this report provides details of the suffering faced by Palestinian prisoners incarcerated by Israel.

Year 2010 was not an ordinary year for Palestinian prisoners. Yet, if there is a common feature to describe the reality of the movement of prisoners and the captives, we could label it as "A year of Jails storming & attempts to Weaken Prisoners Determination"

This year, prisoners witnessed more than 130 raids in their place tents and dwellings by Israeli soldiers who then tortured them, confiscated their belongings and separated them individually in cells.

In 2010 there was also the largest movement of prison leaders of Palestinian detainees in an effort to disrupt prisoners and create a state of instability within prisons. This policy intended to hinder the work of Prisoners Movement, to plan and organize their struggle within jails such as protests and hunger strikes.

The year also witnessed a sharp decrease in the number of prisoners in Israeli jails which was 6500 persons distributed in dozens of Israelis jails. The year included various random campaigns to arrest people in the West Bank cities and villages. Such campaigns were carried almost daily. Indeed there are daily operations storming houses, villages and towns in return of releases of some prisoners. It seems Israel is trying to send a message pointing out that no Palestinian is immune and protected from these campaigns and operations.

The developments mentioned above are a brief introduction to the challenges facing Palestinians prisoners incarcerated in Israel. This will expanded in greater detail below.

1^st: Raids and Tourture of Prisoners

As mentioned in the introduction Palestinians prisoners’ experienced routine attack in their Chambers. The prisoners were also tortured and their belongings were confiscated. They were also hit, beaten, including with electric sticks and sprayed with tear gas. They were also separated individually or moved to other departments in the jail, not dissimilar to what happened to those in Hadarim detention centre. In Hadarim centre, prisoners in division Three were moved to division Five. Walls between divisions were demolished while prisoners were deprived from taking electric equipments with them. Prisoners were corralled and put in a detention are which lacked any basic provisions required in every prison. All this happened under a pretext of searching for mobile phones.

The same incident happened in Nafha detention centre, located in the desert which the Israeli army stormed more than Ten times. On every occasion, confrontation took place between prison guards and prisoners, resulting in bloody attacks against prisoners and their leaders. In one occasion, an Israeli officer, at Nafha detention (which host Palestinian prisoners of highest sentences from Gaza Strip), phoned the wife of one of the prisoners with abuse to evoke response, while searching his private belongings. The incident caused enormous damage and has pushed the Management of the prison to apologize and provide further assurance that an open investigation in the manner in which prison cells are raided and prisoners restrained by carried out.

Similar actions were carried out in Reemon prison, southern Palestine. The compound is overseen by someone who doesn’t recognize the rights of Palestinian prisoners. The head of the prison routinely tortures prisoners and carries out regular inspection campaigns after midnights. The provocation pushed leadership of prisoners in all the prison to demand that actions be taken against the management of the facility.

We have also monitored the frequent raids of female prisoner’s chambers. We have uncovered evidence of torture and unspeakable humiliation. In many occasions, female prisoners were searched in a manner contrary to the basic of human dignity. Some female guards in the prisons searched them in a very provocative way by touching their bodies in front of male Israeli soldiers.

The Israeli state and Prison Service facility has escalated their humiliating and torture tactics. Rarely a week passes before another raid or attack against prisoner’s chambers. Such conditions made the lives of prisoners extremely difficult, forced to live in continuous tension fearing frequent and untimely attacks.

- Methods and Tactics used in prisons inspection

Here we will provide details of the mechanism adopted by Israeli authorities in attacking and inspecting prisons in order that the mainstream public could have better understanding of the conditions facing Palestinian prisoners.

There are some special units that’s professionally trained called, Matsada Unit and others called Nahshon in which both undertake the confrontational task of storming prisoners chambers irregularly and carrying provocative and humiliating searches.

These units are highly efficient, especially in methods of prisoner provocation. In a short time, they are able to burst into prisoners Chamber and control prisoners by chaining/inspecting them and then making a quick accurate search of the place. They open electricity points in the rooms to ensure that the iron around the windows are strong and did not move from its place. They search everywhere for sharp objects or other tools. They also read what prisoners write and analyses their ideas. Additionally, those attacking units open the TV hardware and search inside for anything that might be hidden by prisoners. Afterwards, they search the toilet and its contents plus clothing of prisoners.

During this turbulent search, chambers are turned upside down. Prisoners then start to
re-collect their belongings, clothing and needs.

Note: Prisoners don’t know when or where or how these raids will take place. Prisons Service facility always use pretext for these attacks which is security reasons.

2^nd: Prisoners Transfer & creating instability inside the prison

The process of moving or transferring Palestinian prisoners is a very old method that has been increasingly used in 2010. We believe that some psychological experts work in Prisons Service facility to create new methods and ways that aim in breaking the determination of Palestinian prisoners and their families. Human being always seeks stability even during captivity. Prisoners normally are allowed to become familiar with their surrounding, the inmates and the guards. The prison becomes their new reality which a civilized prison service would
allow inmates to get used to in order to have a peaceful coexistence. What makes this exceptionally hostile for prisoners is the transfer from one place to another for many different and known reasons for example:

A- Transferring Prisoners prior to family visits

This technique, which is being carried out, is designed to break the will of prisoners and their families. A day before the family visit, prisoners are transferred from one prison to another and prevented from seeing their family. The family will not be told of this prior to their visit and will endure the grueling trip for a whole day which includes humiliating body search. Such measures bring immense frustration for both prisoner and their families. This process has been repeatedly carried out 3 times by Israeli authorities. It happened with Jamal abu al-Haija who is segregated and deprived from seeing his family except his young daughter aged 16 years.

B- Detaining prisoners far from their residence

Prison Service Facility tends to use inhumane treatment that humiliates prisoners. This treatment aims at putting prisoners in prisons that are located far from their residential areas. For example, those from north Palestine are being segregated in prisons located in the south and vice versa. Such procedure will make it hard for their families who then suffer the repercussions through the hardship endured while trying to visit the prisoners.

Indeed, the historical geographical space of Palestine is small, yet human being yearns to be close to the area where they were born and raised. Israeli authorities exploit this human sentiment which brings unnecessary human suffering.

C- Transferring Prisoners far from friends or relatives

It’s the core of Prisons Service Facility to separate brothers, relatives and friends from each other. It aims at breaking social bonds between prisoners and sapping their determination. Prison management carries out this policy intentionally. For example they put different prisoners from different cities like Gaza and Hebron in one place. Whilest, they don’t put prisoners from the same city or town with each other. Four brothers named Muath Saeed Belal, Othman, Obada, and Bakr were separated from each other and deprived from seeing their mother.

D- Transferring Prisoners every 3 months

This policy is old called "Cat’s kittens" which relies on transferring prisoners from one prison to another to create state of instability. It targets mainly prisoners’ leaders, thinkers and popular prisoners who are in a position to benefit their fellow prisoner’s friends and colleagues.

3^rd: Depriving Prsioners from Family visits

Family visits are a life line where families meet each other and connect with the outside world. Prisoners through this visit are provided moments of great solace and tranquillity which carries them through the tremendous hardship. Such visits are also a basic right.

Prison Authorities know very well the importance of such visits as every prisoner has great hope to see their families. Yet, they tend to hinder this crucial interaction by depriving them family visits. They deprive them this basic right which is guaranteed by all international laws and conventions. The refusal for these visits is always made under various security pretexts and allegations that are unfounded. Such allegations are extremely dubious; how is it possible that prisoners imprisoned under camera surveillance, besieged with barbed wire, could be security threat? How is this also possible while they are incarcerated in the most advanced jails in terms of technological security measures? Indeed such policy aims at weakening the will of Palestinian prisoners and humiliating them.

Another reason given to deprive prisoners from family visits is extremely pitiless such as when a prisoner is late a few moments from the daily counting (Israeli authorities do daily counting for prisoners inside jails to make sure no one escaped) for their numbers. Other reasons could be raising the voice of TV or Radio loud or singing inside their cells. Any action or behaviour by prisoner is counted by the Israeli authorities and quickly they punish them in return.

Conditions faced by families through the visit are extremely gruelling. Families are humiliated and face strip search. At the end when they reach their sons, brothers, sisters, husbands etc, they will never be able to touch or hug them. They will never kiss them or feel them because a glass barrier separates them from each other. They only hear them by headphones. This is another torment; to see your beloved for years and never get closer to them.

Israel legalizes such deprivation as a means of punishment. It is the only country in the world to do so which is against International law.

Historically Speaking, Israel started this policy in 1996 in which she issued a decree stating that visits should be from direct family members only. This decree limits those who can visit the prisoner because many prisoners have no mothers and fathers, sons and daughters or spouses alive. Therefore, great numbers of prisoners are deprived from these visits automatically.

4^th: Sick Prisoner

In 2010 the health conditions of prisoners deteriorated sharply. There is notable increasing number of sick prisoners due to the lack of health care, medical doctors and medicines. For example, a patient with diabetes is being transferred from Negev desert prison into Al Ramlah detention to make regular health check. This brings more complications to his health conditions. The same happens with various patients suffering from different diseases.

Female prisoners suffer the same due to the lack of female doctors. This requires them to be transferred to Al Ramlah prison which is refused by the female prisoners.

In al Ramlah Prison, conditions inside are extremely grim. Prisoners help each other as prison management refuses to provide health services. Prison is not equipped with facilities for paralyzed prisoners and other illnesses. There are 28 prisoners with very severe health conditions.

There are 26 handicapped prisoners in Israeli prisons, because they were shot by Israeli bullets or injured by shells. The handicapped prisoners lack basic social and health care. Despite their severe conditions they are exposed to what can only be described as a slow death due to lack of health care.

Some prisoners became disabled due to Israeli torture while in prison. Some of them were severely tortured like Nail Abd Al Qadira, 45, from Bait Awa town in Hebron. He was paralyzed during investigation and interrogation period. He was severely beaten on his back which caused him paralysis (Hemiplegia). He spent 7 years in the jail moving around on his wheelchair.

Prisoner, Muhammad Mustafa Abd Alaziz, from Jabalia town in Gaza was paralyzed inside the prison due to the lack of health care and medications. When he entered the prison in 2000, he was healthy and free from any diseases. Yet, after intensive interrogation period he became paralyzed. Israeli authorities refuse to release him or at least secure him basic health care medications even though he spent most of his sentence inside the prison.

Israeli army doesn’t have limits in its detention policies. They detain those who suffer from both physical and psychological problems even though they have no means to provide the basic requirements for such prisoners.

Prisoner Nahed Faraj al Aqra’ from Gaza was detained after returning back from medical trip in Jordan. His right leg is amputee and he suffers from bones lacerations in the left leg which might also need amputation. They captured him while he was on wheelchair. Then, he was subjected to severe torture and sentenced with three life sentences.

Undeniably, Israeli prisons lack health facilities and medical equipments needed for those in special needs. They also lack artificial limbs like legs and hands or medical glasses and many other medical essentials. Those suffering from lungs problems, like Asthma and lungs inflammations, are deprived the basic machines and sometimes medications. Israeli army refuses to provide these essential even via third party agencies like Human Right NGOs.

Prisoners with disabilities do not receive humane treatment, especially in light of the difficult circumstances in which they suffer and are subjected to abuse. Arbitrary practices are also carried out against other prisoners. They are deprived of their special needs and lack fundamental health care. Furthermore, they are exposed to torture, humiliating inspection and all kind of inhumane practices by Israeli authorities in prison. Prison administration doesn’t take into account their conditions while transporting them for courts, clinics, or between prisons. They are subject to improper transfer in unsuitable vehicles like Posta Car. Sometimes it takes up to ten hours or more to transfer them to a destination. Within that period they are not allowed to eat, drink or go to the toilet.

5^th: Seperated Prisones

There are 10 prisoners across Israeli prisons that are classified as leaders within prison groups. They are separated from the outside world. They can’t see their families and they live in extreme conditions unfit for human habitation. One of these leaders, Hasan Salama, was separated for 13 years and Jamal Abu Al Haija was isolated for 6 years, Muhammad Eisa, isolated for 8 years and Ahmad Ibrahim isolated for 6 years. Also Ahmad Sadat and Ahed Ghilma has been isolated indefinitely.

Leadership of prisoner’s movement threatened to go on hunger strikes if the current treatment continued. There are some promises that have been made but it seems to be in vain so far. Jamal Abu Al Haija and Ahed Ghilma went on a hunger strike for 7 days to end their isolation and to be given family visits.

6^th: Child Prisoners

It’s widely known that Israel is the only state worldwide that has child prisoners under the age of 18. Such a matter is unlawful and illegal according to international law, yet Israel continues to do this.

There are 280 child prisoners under the age of 18. Their living conditions are harsh. Prison administration refuses to allow mature prisoners to join them.

Israel uses all sorts of punishment and tortures against child prisoners to recruit them as spies. They threaten them with rape and other forms of violence.

7^th: Female Prisoners

There are 35 female prisoners in Israeli jails. They experience inhumane treatment and harsh conditions. They experience continues raids, inspection and searches.

8^th: Administrative detention

There are 270 Palestinians administratively detained. The number is decreasing as resistance operations are on the decline in the West Bank. Ayed Duden is the oldest and most senior administratively detained prisoner. He spent 42 months in administrative detention till now. He was detained a few times and spent more than 13 years in Israeli jails.

One hour before the specified time of release of those prisoners, Israeli authorities extend their administrative detention. Israel is the only state who practices the policy of administrative detention

9^th: Daily Detentions

In 2010, 50 Palestinians were captured after detention raids. Some of those prisoners spend a few days before they are released.

10^th: Senior Prisoners

There are 3 prisoners who spent more than 30 years in Israeli jails whilst 27 prisoners spent more than 25 years and 129 spent more than 20 years in Israeli jails.

Certainly, the issue of Palestinian prisoners is not numbers or statistics. It’s a cause of people who are deprived their basic rights. It’s a cause reacting to a terrible tragedy, a cause of people who are dying slowly. They spent long years in Israeli jails. Their fathers, mothers, brothers either died or are about to. They are deprived basic humanity.

11^th: Expcted Prsioner Swap

Observers expected that a prisoner swap will take place in 2010 whereby some Palestinian prisoners could be released in return of releasing 1 Israeli soldier. However the swap never happened. Mediator’s efforts never succeeded due to the solid positions of Israeli government. Israel refused to release prisoners of have spent more than 20 years in jail.

Statisctal Report on Prisoners and their condtions

Prisoners: Facts & Figures (1917 - 2011)

1- Proportion of prisoners within Al-Aqsa Intifada

Since 1967 Israeli occupation forces arrested more than 800,000 Palestinian citizens. Hundreds of them were either women or children. There were a further 70,000 Palestinians, since the breakout of Al-qsa uprising in September 2000 who were imprisoned or detained. 820 of them were women and more than 8000 were children.

2- Types of prisoners according to Categories

There are 6600 prisoners distributed in 15 Israeli jails and detention centre. Most of these facilities lack the basics essential. The 6600 prisoners are divided into, 270 child, 35 woman, 170 administratively detained prisoners without charge and 5 from Gaza considered illegal fighters. There are 9 Palestinian MPs, 13 prisoners in Isolation cells for over 10 years and around 28 sick prisoners. There are 1000 prisoners deprived from family visits.

3- Distribution of prisoners according to areas

The vast majority of prisoners, 82.5% are from the West Bank, whilst only 726 prisoners are from the Gaza Strip while 10.4% and a further 6% are from Jerusalem.

Around 79% of the prisoners served different sentences. 820 are sentenced for 25 years or 50 years including 5 female prisoners.

598 prisoners are sentenced to more than 20 years and 479 are sentenced for less than 15 years. Also 1782 are sentenced for more than 5 years and less than 10 years.

Prisoners in administrative detention are estimated to be numbering 170 without any trials 5 are from Gaza who are considered illegal fighters.

4- Senior Prisoners according to years of detention

There are 307 senior prisoners jailed before Oslo and the arrival of Palestinian Authority (PA) in May 1994. Around 126 of them spent more than 20 years in Jails while 27 spent more than 25 years. Nail and Fakhri Al Barghouti and Akram Mansour are the most senior prisoners as they spent more than 31 years in Israeli jails.

Sources: Ahrar For Presiners Study & Human Rights; Adalah, Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners; Al Aseer Club; Yousuf Al Sedeek Fondation; Mandela Foundation in Palestine; Palestine Behind Bars; ADDAMEER, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights; Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association; Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (Goldstone Report); Palestine Monitor; Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies & Consultations; Palestinian Centre for Human Rights; Arab and International news agencies.