Number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons for more than 20 years reaches 106

27.08.09 - 15:43

Gaza / PNN – Prisons affairs expert Abdel Nasser Ferwana issued new statistics today indicating that there are now 106 Palestinians who have spent more than 20 years in Israeli prisons.
A former political prisoner himself, Ferwana said that the passing of 20 years by Ra’ed Al Sa’adi brings the number to 106.
In his role of Director of the Department of Statistics in the Ministry of Detainees and Ex Detainees Affairs in the Palestinian Authority, Farawana said that Al Sa’adi was arrested on the eight of August, 1989. The 43 year old is a Jenin resident belonging to the Islamic Jihad movement, imprisoned for allegedly engaging in armed resistance activities against the occupation.
The number of people inside for 20 years was 106 last month, but the number decreased by one for a short amount of time with the release of Mohammad Mansour from Tulkarem after 25 years in prison.
Three people from the Gaza Strip have entered the twenty-second year, noted Ferwana, with the longest-standing political prisoner having been in custody for over 30 years.