Women's Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP)
Newsletter April 2009There are, at present, about 60 women political prisoners in the Israeli jails: about 35 in Hasharon Prison (Tel Mond), about 22 in Damoon Prison (Carmel Mountain), and the rest in several detention centers.
Books
The prison authorities have always made difficulties letting in books for the political prisoners. Now they have announced that all the political prisoners will be prohibited from getting any books at all. Associations for Human Rights and for Prisoners' Support have sent protest letters to the prison authorities.
Shoes
Since more than a half year, the families are forbidden to bring shoes to the women political prisoners. They have to buy shoes in the prison canteen. In the canteen there are only sneakers, and the lowest price is much higher then prices in the West Bank. So there are prisoners who, when going out of the cell, borrow the shoes belonging to other inmates.
Family visits
Recently, the Israeli authorities have taken steps to prevent many families on their way to prison from passing the check points. They are forced to leave the transportation of the International Committee of the Red Cross and return back home without visiting, even though they have obtained all the needed permits.
Television
Recently, the prison authorities have cut off Arabic channels which the prisoners used in order to watch Al-Jazeera and Lebanese channels.
Hasharon Prison (Tel Mond)
Wing 2
Recently, new prisoners have been brought to wing 2 in Hasharon Prison where they may be held for months. In this wing there are also criminal prisoners who are hostile and curse the political prisoners all the time.
Letters
The prison authorities still have not delivered a great part of the letters to the women prisoners. The women do not get the letters from their families. It is particularly harmful to the prisoners from Gaza Strip because their families have not been allowed to visit them since more than two years.
Warda Bakrawi, from 'Arabeh in the Galilee, was arrested on 16 October 2003. Her mother, her memory be blessed, has died on 29 January 2009. The prison authorities refused Warda's request to leave in order to see her mother before her death.
Ihsan Dababsa , 22 years old, from Hebron was arrested on 11 December 2007. She was a student at Hebron University. For the last four months, her family members have been forbidden from visiting her. Her father, his memory be blessed, has died in January 2009. She has not seen him since the day of her arrest. The parole board refused her request for early release, even though she had served two thirds of her term. She is going to submit an appeal against the refusal.
Sentences
Sanaa Salah, 26 years old, from Bethlehem, was arrested on 7 August 2008 and was sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment.
Rima Tabal, 23 year old, from Tulkarem, was arrested on 20 September 2008 and was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment.
Arselin Ya'aqub, 22 years old, from Tulkarem, was arrested on 7 October 2008 and was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment.
Bara'a Malaqi, and Samah Sma'ada, both 15 years old, from Jelazun Refugee Camp, were arrested on 2 December 2008 and were sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment.
New prisoners
Khadija Habash, from Rahat in the Naqab (Negev), was arrested on 22 January 2009.
Siham elHih, 20 years old, from Surif, Hebron district, works in a center for research about prisoners. She was arrested in March 2009 and was placed under administrative detention.
Released prisoners
‘Abeer 'Odeh, from Tulkarem, was arrested on 22 April 2006 and was released in March 2009.
Hiba Hamidat, from Jelazun Refugee Camp, Ramallah district, was arrested on 10 August 2006 and released on 8 March 2009 .
Amal el'Abidi, from Jerusalem, was arrested on 6 December 2008 and released in February 2009.
Damoon Prison (Carmel Mountain)
Water
Recently, there have been frequent water cuts for the duration of a day or half a day, without the prison authorities informing the prisoners in advance.
Shireen Qandil Swidan , from Qalqilya, mother of two children, was arrested on 7 September 2006, The parole board refused her request for early release, even though she had served more than two thirds of her term.
Amal Jum'ah, from 'Askar Refugee Camp, Nablus district, was arrested on 9 April 2004. Her brother who is disabled and needs a wheelchair has been forbidden to visit her since the day of her arrest.
Sentences
Wurud Qasam, from Tirah in the Triangle, was arrested on 4 October 2006 and was sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment.
'Efaf Muhamad Jum'ah Btikh, 18 years old, from Jerusalem, was arrested on 5 February 2008 and was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment.
Sumud ‘Abdalla, 17 years old from Ramallah was arrested on 17 April 2008 and was sentenced to 22 months' imprisonment.
Faten elSa'adi, 25 years old, from Jenin Refugee Camp, was arrested on 8 May 2008 and was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment. She is a Brazilian citizen, and until now no one from the Brazilian embassy has visited her.
Released prisoners
'Arin Ahmad, from Bethlehem, was arrested on 29 May 2002 and released in February 2009.
Shirin elShekh Khalil, 23 years old, was born in Gaza and moved to Ramallah when she was a child. She was arrested, when living in Ramallah, on 13 July 2003 and released on12 April 2009. The Israeli authorities refused to allow her to return to Ramallah and forced her to live in Gaza after her release.
Samira Haniya Abu Shamala, 46 years old, from Y'abed, Jenin district, an administrative detainee, was arrested on 3 March 2008 and was released on 1 March 2009 .
Muntaha Ya'aqub elKhatib, 17 years old, from Balata Refugee Camp, Nablus district, was arrested on 21 March 2008 and was released on 1 March 2009.
Kishon Detention Center (Jalame)
New Prisoner
Rajaa elGhul, was arrested in March 2009, brought to Hasharon Prison and transferred to Kishon Detention Center (Jalame). She had been a political prisoner in the past.
