Family says detainee transferred as punitive measure

Tulkarem - Ma'an - The Israeli Prison Services transferred a Tulkarem detainee from the Ber Sheba prison to the Ramon prison, relatives said Wednesday.

Yasser Hatem Jayyousi's brother, Mohammad, said his family received a phone call from the Israeli intelligence services informing them of the transfer, and was told that a scheduled visit on Wednesday was canceled as a result.

Mohammad said the caller informed them that the transfer was undertaken to punish the detainee.

The detainee is a leader of the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Tulkarem and was sentenced to six life terms in addition to 55 years. He has currently served eight years of his sentence.

Rights groups: Israel used 'human shields' in Gaza

Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli rights groups found that Israeli forces used “human shields” during the war on Gaza which began December 2008, a report said.

The study, by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and the Adalah legal rights organization, was obtained by Israeli news site Ynet, which said the findings echoed the UN fact finding mission headed by Judge Richard Goldstone.

The new report, which was dismissed by an Israeli army spokesman, features testimonies of Palestinians forced to enter homes at gunpoint ahead of Israeli soldiers, and of detainees suffering acts of torture during interrogation, Ynet said.

In a statement Tuesday, the Israeli army said that in 27 out of 30 incidents the UN report described as “grave breaches” of the Fourth Geneva Convention, internal investigations concluded that “legal measures would not be taken.”

Palestinian prisoners in Shata jail attacked by Masada unit

[ 07/07/2010 - 02:20 PM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Al-Ahrar center for prisoners' studies and human rights said that an Israeli special unit attacked without prior notice after midnight Tuesday the Palestinian prisoners in Shata jail and went on the rampage in its sections. Director of the center Fouad Al-Khafsh added that the prison administration also deprived the prisoners of family visits for one month and the university students of pursuing their studies for six months. Khafsh pointed out that Israel lately escalated its violations against Palestinian prisoners in an unprecedented way and used the special unit called Masada to suppress Palestinian prisoners in different jails. He added that the Masada unit participated in the deadly attack on the Freedom Flotilla aid convoy and its members are notorious for their sadist behavior and their thirst for blood and violence. In a related incident, the international Tadamun (solidarity) foundation for human rights reported that the administration of Megiddo prison imposed fines on a number of prisoners and took punitive measures against others. A researcher at the foundation Ahmed Al-Beitawi said that the administration forced 20 prisoners to pay a fine of about $120 each and took a number of punitive measures against others such as depriving them of family visits for one month at the pretext of finding two cell phones in their cells. Consequently, dozens of prisoners' families and representatives of human rights institutions rallied outside Megiddo prison in the 1948 occupied lands in protest at the latest arbitrary measures taken against their sons. The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) declared the perimeter of the prison a closed military zone and prevented the protesters from approaching the gate. Protesters made appeals in their speeches for protecting their sons against the escalating Israeli violations committed against them in the jail and held the IOA fully responsible for what is happening inside.

International Campaign asks Red Cross to protect of J’lem MPs

[ 07/07/2010 - 06:34 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- The international campaign for the release of abducted MPs appealed to president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger, to protect the Jerusalem parliament members sitting-in at the Red Cross headquarters in Jerusalem, and to block any attempt to harm or arrest them. The international campaign, in a letter addressed to the director of the Red Cross headquarters in the Gaza Strip, condemned Israeli forces for their Tuesday intrusion into the Red Cross headquarters in Jerusalem and raid on the Jerusalem MPs’ sit-in tent in an attempt to assault and abduct them, without any regard for the international institution’s sanctity. The international campaign addressed in its letter to the Red Cross all signatories of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits occupying powers from moving residents of occupied territories by force, in accordance with Article 49, just as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in accordance with Article 7 provides that forcible removal or transport of residents is a humanitarian crime. The campaign demands immediate action to stop the Israel’s unjust and bias decision against the Jerusalem MPs and former minister. The campaign called on the ICRC to shoulder their responsibilities in the deportation case, and to coordinate efforts with international bodies to intervene in the forcible abduction of Jerusalem’s representatives, in addition to putting pressure on the Israeli government to stop its illegal deportation decision. One of those MPs and former Jerusalem minister, Khaled Abu Arafa denied in a press statement on Wednesday Hebrew press reports that the Jerusalemite deputies had signed an agreement by which they approved the deportation principle and that the issue was about to be solved. He described the reports as sheer lies aimed at distracting the attention of solidarity activists away from the main cause, stressing that the deputies were adamant on remaining in Jerusalem under any circumstances.

Jerusalemite officials facing eviction to escalate if their issue not resolved

[ 07/07/2010 - 04:04 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Two Jerusalemite lawmakers and one former minister threatened with expulsion from the occupied city of Jerusalem warned they would take further protest steps if their issue was not resolved soon. They said in a press statement to the Palestinian information center (PIC) on Tuesday they would never yield to the Israeli decisions and would stay in their hometown regardless of all circumstances. Mohamed Totah, one of the lawmakers, affirmed that Israel tried to silence any voice talking about the eviction of Palestinian officials from Jerusalem and spread lies about a signed agreement to end their issue. "When we visited the UN envoy, he told us that that he was in the US consulate when Sheikh Mohamed Abu Tir was arrested and that he was surprised at his arrest because the occupation forces told him there was an agreement signed with them on stopping to exile the lawmakers, but when he contacted them to inquire, he was told that the agreement did not include Sheikh Mohamed Abu Tir," Totah explained. "The representative of the European union told us during his visit to the tent that the occupation forces assured him there was a signed agreement, and our response was clear that they (Israeli occupation forces) have to provide us with a copy of it," the lawmaker added. He also said that the Swiss ambassador and other foreign parties received the same Israeli misleading information about the alleged signed agreement, noting that spreading such lies were aimed at absorbing the international pressure. "Immediately after the news of the agreement, we received a hail of phone calls congratulating us on solving the problem; Our response was that all information regarding an agreement was inaccurate and incorrect and the evidence is that we are still at the Red Cross headquarters in Al-Sheikh Jarrah and we still receive threats of exile from the city," the MP elaborated. Israel withdrew the residence permits and IDs of one former minister and three lawmakers, one of them are Mohamed Abu Tir who was arrested while the two others pitched a sit-in tent in the courtyard of the Red Cross headquarters in Jerusalem.

Bahar denounces IOF detention of Al-Ahmed, champions national unity

[ 07/07/2010 - 10:13 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- First deputy speaker of the Palestinian legislative council (PLC) Dr. Ahmed Bahar has denounced the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) for detaining the head of Fatah's parliamentary bloc Azzam Al-Ahmed along with two other Fatah officials for a short period of time. Bahar said in a press release on Tuesday that the detention fell in line with attempts to target Palestinian legitimacy and to weaken joint national action. He called in this respect on Fatah to join Palestinian national unity talks away from foreign agendas to forge national unity and confront occupation. Al-Ahmed and the two other officials were visiting the sit-in tent pitched by the Jerusalemite MPs, who are threatened with deportation by the Israeli occupation authority (IOA), inside the Red Cross headquarters in Jerusalem. Bahar said that the IOA targets all honorable Palestinians in accordance with its priorities and needs. The deputy speaker affirmed that the PLC would defend Al-Ahmed the same as it defends the other detained MPs in IOA jails and would not differentiate between them. Bahar also condemned the IOF storming of the sit-in tent, saying that the IOF does not have any consideration for any international institutions and violates all international values, doctrines, and agreements.

IOA extends detention of Palestinian female lawyer for 10th time

[ 07/07/2010 - 08:06 AM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli court in Jerusalem on Tuesday extended the detention of the Palestinian lawyer Shirin Al-Issawi along with her two brothers Midhat and Ra'fat for 11 days for the tenth consecutive time. Father of the detainees said that the three presiding judges in court held a hearing to look into the case of his offspring, bringing two of them Shirin and Ra'fat first where their detention was extended until 17/7. The court then brought Midhat alone and extended his detention until 13/7, the father said, noting that Midhat was not allowed to meet his brother and sister. He expressed concern at the court's proceedings, adding that the constant delay in their case reveals that the Israeli intelligence had failed in convicting them especially when the lawyer refuted all charges leveled against her. Shirin and her brothers are accused of transferring money for Gaza prisoners in Israeli jails, who are deprived of such a privilege due to the Israeli siege on the Strip.

Israeli police detain dozens of workers, settler runs over three citizens

[ 06/07/2010 - 04:48 PM ]

NAZARETH, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation police detained dozens of Palestinian workers from the West Bank while working in 1948 occupied Palestine. The occupation police rounded up 120 workers in less than a week, the Palestinian prisoner's committee said in a report on Tuesday, adding that ten of them were held for interrogation while the rest were transferred back to the West Bank many of whom after paying fines. Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have rounded up six Palestinians during raids in various West Bank areas at dawn Tuesday, local sources said, adding that they were detained in Tobas, Qalqilia, and Al-Khalil districts. In a separate incident, three Palestinian citizens were moderately wounded Tuesday afternoon after they were hit by a speeding car boarded by an Israeli settler near the settlement of Efrat, south of Bethlehem. Eyewitnesses told the PIC that the injured citizens were taken to a hospital in Al-Khalil, and one of them is still in a coma. Israeli troops and settlers driving cars deliberately run over Palestinians during their presence in the vicinity of settlements or nearby roads.

Committee: Attack on minors in captivity evidence of Israel’s brutality

[ 06/07/2010 - 05:26 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- The supreme national committee for support of prisoners stated that the Israeli prison authorities’ raid against Palestinian minors in the Megiddo prison is clear evidence of Israel’s "barbarism and aggressive policies towards prisoners, and its lack of respect for international and humanitarian law". Riad Ashkar, the committee’s Media Director, clarified in a press statement on Tuesday that two nights ago the Israeli prison administration, accompanied by special units, carried out a raid operation on the minors’ section of the Megiddo prison, which houses around 100 children under eighteen years of age, alleging that it was part of an inspection operation to find three mobile phones smuggled by prisoners into the section to contact their loved ones. The special units began by violently removing underage prisoners and assaulting them with insults. They then turned around the contents of the minors’ cells, damaged their personal items, and tore their clothing, in addition to emptying liquids such as oil and juice on their mattresses and blankets. In turn, the youngsters protested against the unusual inspection practices, which to the prisoners appeared to be an act of revenge. The prison’s administration then made a declaration of alert and summoned an additional special forces unit, known as Nahshon, for backup, who in turn sprayed the minors with poisonous gas and struck them with their batons and feet, causing suffocation and bruises to more than 13 children, while others were taken to solitary confinement. Ashkar added that when prisoners in other sections came to know about the raid into the minors’ section, they began to protest in an attempt to put pressure on the prison administration to lessen the attack on their minor colleagues and stop the raid. The administration was thereby prompted to declare a general state of alert in the prison, and called on additional troops to back the special units, who raided all sections of the Megiddo prison, which is home to more than 700 prisoners, and assaulted prisoners by way of battery, insults, and poisonous gas. The barbaric operation lasted for about 23 hours, ending at about 2:00 am last night, and resulting in the injury of more than 27 prisoners. Ashkar clarified that most of the prisoners’ injuries were minor and resulted from inhaling gas or taking blows by sticks or kicks to the legs. Nevertheless, the raid itself paired with the practice of aggressive and barbaric assault of minors exceeds the limit of a standard inspection for prohibited items, as alleged by the administration, to an attempt to break the will of the prisoners, humiliate them, and deliberately inflict injuries on them. The Supreme Committee for Prisoners calls on international organizations to quickly intervene to protect incarcerated minors, and emphasizes that committees should be sent to investigate the repeated assaults against captives in Israeli prisons.

Israel’s abuse of female prisoners on the rise

[ 05/07/2010 - 03:40 PM ]

NABLUS, (PIC)-- The  International Tadhamun (Solidarity) Foundation for Human Rights revealed that a special Israeli unit spontaneously raided the cells of female inmates in the Damon prison and proceeded in a barbaric inspection operation a few days ago. Ahmed Beitawi, one of the foundation’s researchers, said that the victims were spontaneously raided by the “Droor” unit, an Israeli prisons authority unit, which specializes in inspecting female offenders, in search of drugs and contraband in their cells at exactly nine o’clock in the morning. The captives were then detained in the corners of their cells and forced to raise their hands. They remained in that position until 3:00 pm. Beitawi said, "The inspection raid operation permeated inspection and destruction of all the prisoners’ belongings, and the procedure ended by removal of prisoners from the cells, and they were 17 captives in number, one after the other, and then they were subjected to humiliating strip searches" by female soldiers. On her part, prisoner Amna Mona, the woman responsible for inmates in the Damon prison, denied the IPA argument that the raid operation was to search for cellular devices, clarifying that the purpose behind it was to "humiliate and terrorize prisoners and to put them in a state of emotional instability". The human rights foundation appeals for serious efforts to stop the policy of humiliating strip searches and successive raids of prisoners’ cells.

Israeli courts criminalize protest: Adeeb Abu Rahma sentenced to two years

International network for the Palestinian popular nonviolent resistance

Israeli repression of Palestinian non-violent resistance against the Wall and the Occupation takes a distubring turn: Adeeb Abu Rahma, from Bil’in Village, sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
On 30 June 2010, grassroots activist Adeeb Abu Rahma, member of the Bil’in Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, was sentenced by Israeli military court to two years’ imprisonment, after being arrested on 10 July 2009 during a weekly demonstration in Bil’in, and after spending 11 months of detention in the Ofer military complex in the Occupied Territories.
Adeeb Abu Rahma is a taxi-driver and he has 11 children, he’s well known for his generosity and constant presence at village of Bil’in’s weekly demonstrations against Israel’s wall and for his commitment to popular nonviolent resistance, and the sentence is part of Israeli strategy to repress and criminalize popular nonviolent struggle against the Occupation and the Wall.
The sentence that condemned Adeeb states that he is guilty of “encourage violence”, “activity against public order” and of being “present in a closed military area”, as Bil’in has been declared every Friday from 8am to 8pm, in order to prevent the weekly demonstration. Adeeb lives in the village, and always has; so he has been convicted of being present in his own home.
Adeeb’s case relied on the forced confessions of four Bil’in youth – 14, 15 and 16 years old – arrested during a night raid by Israeli soldiers and forced to state that Adeeb told them to throw stones at the soldiers.
Adeeb Abu Rahma’s arrest is just the latest in a series of repressive measures implemented by Israel in order to stop the popular nonviolent resistance of Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals. Palestinian protestors are targeted by mass arrests, night raids and criminalization of the members of the Popular Committee members who lead the protests.
For the past five years the people from Bil’in have waged an ongoing struggle against the Israeli wall and the Occupation. Other villages such as Nil’in, Al-Ma’asara, Budrus, Jayyus, An-Nabi Saleh, Iraq Burin and Al-Wallaja have joined this struggle.
According to data provided by Addameer and Stop the Wall, more than 1,566 Palestinians have been injuried and 16 have been killed between 2005 and 2009 during nonviolent demonstration in the Occupied Territories. Since 2002, in the villages of Bilin, Nilin, Al-Ma’asara, and Budrus, 176 Palestinian citizens have been arrested.
Today more than ever, it is necessary to campaign for the release of more than 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners, among which more than 300 are minors.
Send a letter of appeal for Adeeb Abu Rahma’s release to:
Mrs Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders
H.E.RIYAD H MANSOUR, Ambassador, Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine
H.E. DANIEL CARMON, Deputy Representative of Israel to the United Nations
Menachem Mazuz Israeli Attorney General, Israeli Ministry of Justice
Adeeb’s daughter Raja:
We also ask your support for Adeeb’s daughter, Raja. Though from a simple family, Raja has won extremely high marks in the nationwide high-school exam scores, and she is now studying medicine at Bir Zeit University. Adeeb drives a taxi, and fees and other expenses would never have been easy for him, but his beloved daughter’s education has always been his priority. Since his imprisonment, friends of Adeeb have donated to allow Raja to continue her studies. She now needs $1500 for next semester’s fees, and we hope that supporters of Bil’in and of Adeeb can help her to realize her dreams and those of her father.
Please donate money to Raja by PayPal:

Israel allows Gazan prisoners to call their families

Gaza, July 4, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation authorities Decided to allow prisoners of the Gaza Strip, to call their families about a month ago from the beginning of Ramadan and after negotiations and an appeal done by the leadership of the prisoners movement.
The prisoners in ‘Ramleh’ prisonsaid that The Gaza Strip prisoners in Israeli jails have begun to send appeals to call their families by telephone to the prison administration after this agreement. The prisoners said that the administration had expressed willingness to grant all prisoners of Gaza phone calls with their families and they will be given these calls before the holy month of Ramadan of this year.
The prisoners of the Gaza Strip are deprived of all their rights since the capture of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, in particular their right to visit their families and the entry of widgets for them and dealing with some of them as illegal combatants.
More than 7 thousand five hundred Palestinian prisoners languish in Israeli jails with tragic situations due to the arbitrary occupation measures against them.
The Israeli Government decided months ago to tighten the control on prisoners of the Hamas movement in Israeli prisons, in order to put pressure on Hamas to release captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who is located in Gaza Strip for nearly four years now.

Detainees: Prison guards use dogs, sticks during night raids

Ramallah – Ma'an – Palestinians detained in Israel's Megido Prison reported a series of cell raids last week, with guards ransacking living areas in search of mobile phones, the PA Ministry of Detainees Affairs said Tuesday.

A statement from the ministry said guards initiated the searches after midnight, entered cells, hit prisoners with sticks and launched tear-gas canisters inside cells, causing injuries to several detainees.

"The prison guards allege that they are looking for cell phones, but they are carrying out these raids to humiliate the detainees," the statement said.

One detainee from Tulkarem, identified as Musa Khouli, was quoted in the statement, saying the number of night raids has increased recently inside the Megido prison, and added that on some occasions the troops bring dogs in to sniff out the cells.

Megido was not the only prison where cell raids were conducted at midnight, the statement added, quoting a detainee identified as Hani Yousef Abul Sba, incarcerated at Israel's Ofer Prison, who said guards there had also recently begun night raids.

Tens of Palestinian prisoners hurt in jailors' attack

[ 06/07/2010 - 09:16 AM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Tens of Palestinian prisoners in the Megiddo jail were hurt on Monday night when Israeli members of the Nahshon unit, used to quell prisoners, broke into their cells. Megiddo prison sources said that dozens of the Nahshon unit launched a large-scale inspection inside the minors' wards at the pretext of searching for mobile phones. They added that the soldiers claimed that cell phones were found in those wards, which made them assault prisoners leading to violent confrontations during which the soldiers used teargas and savagely beat up the minors. Prisoners in other wards declared a state of alert after what happened, prompting the prison administration to force them out of prison yards and to deploy more troops. The Palestinian prisoner's society asked the Red Cross to send a special committee to Megiddo instantly to get first hand information on what happened to the prisoners especially the minors. The society expressed concern over the fate of prisoners especially minors, some of whom suffered breathing difficulties and injuries as a result of the beatings.

Presidential guard sentenced to 6 months by Israel

Tubas - Ma'an - Israel's military court in Salem sentenced a Tubas man on charges of resisting the occupation, handing down a six-month sentence and a large fine.

Twenty-one-year-old Thabet Mohammed Jaaysa from the Al-Fara refugee camp works with the Palestinian Authority Presidential Guards, and was detained on 14 April on his way home from work in Ramallah.

The officer was held for two and a half months without charge, and will be transferred from the Salem detention center to Israel's Megido prison where he will serve his sentence. Jaaysa will also be forced to pay a 6,000 shekel fine (1,540 US dollars) before he is released.

Tulkarem detainee released after 6 years

Tulkarem – Ma’an – Israeli troops released on Monday evening detainee Yousef Jihad Kharboush, 24, from Tulkarem after 6.5 years in jail.

Yousef was received by his parents and relatives who hosted a celebration on the occasion of his return home, the Detainees Center reported.