Israeli prison service ban family visits to Palestinian prisoners at Ashkelon jail for one week

Date: 05 / 05 / 2009 Time: 13:15

[Ma'anImages]

Nablus – Ma’an – Palestinian families are to be banned from visiting their relatives detained in Israel's Ashkelon facility as a punishment for inmates refusing to wear the new orange-issue uniform, the prison service announced Tuesday.

Prisoners in the Ashkelon jail, many of who are detained without charge, declared a one-month hunger strike against the Israeli decision to issue orange prison uniforms replacing the street clothes inmates currently wear.

Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners Affairs said the Red Cross was informed of the ban on visits, and that in response Israel said they would reduce the initial one-month ban on visits to one week.