Prisoners ministry holds IOA responsible for lives of Negev detainees

[ 05/08/2009 - 09:56 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- The ministry of prisoners' affairs has held the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) responsible for the lives of Palestinian prisoners in the Negev desert prison following the Israeli prison guards' assault. Riyadh Al-Ashkar, the ministry's spokesman, said in a statement on Tuesday that the prisoners had protested the guards' provocations against ward 5 then the guards stormed the ward firing gas and smoke bombs burning the entire tents in the ward and injuring three prisoners. He noted that the prison administration as usual deliberately delayed putting off the fire, refuting the prison claims that the prisoners were the ones to start the fire. The ministry had earlier warned of possible outbursts in the Israeli prisons especially in the Negev due to the Israeli prisons authority's pressures and harassment. Ashkar recalled the incident was not the first of its kind in Negev as a prisoner died and dozens wounded over 22 months ago when the prison guards used live bullets in quelling prisoners. The spokesman urged international institutions to immediately intervene and get acquainted with incarceration conditions in IOA jails.