Female detainee informs lawyer of violence by soldiers, interrogators

Tuesday September 01, 2009 11:08 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Female detainee Najwa Awni Abdul-Ghani, told the lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) about the day soldier kidnapped her from her home, terrifying the family, searching the home for three hours and kidnapping her to place her under 14 days of continued interrogation, intimidation and abuse.

Abdul-Ghani was kidnapped on July 21, 2009. The army surrounded her home in Saida town, near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem.
The soldiers forced the family, including children and her aged parents, out of their home for more than three hours and searched the property causing damage.
The soldiers kidnapped her and her brother Salah, placed them in two separate vehicles, and took her to the Sharon Prison for two days.
On the third day she was moved to the Al Jalama interrogation center, and was interrogated for fourteen days.
Six to seven soldiers interrogated her each time; they deprived her from sleeping or even eating properly.
She told the PPS lawyer that the living conditions in the cells are very bad; the cells are dirty, smelly, lack ventilation and proper mattresses.
She added that the cell is always lit, day and night, which deprived her from sleeping.
After 14 days of interrogation, she was cuffed, her legs were shackled, and was loaded onto a military vehicle.
The vehicle drove for more than 4 hours to transfer her from Al Jalama to Al Damoun prison although the two detention facilities are not far away from each other.