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<font size=3><br>
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</font><font face="tahoma" size=2><b>From:</b> tirtza tauber
[<a href="mailto:trn1@zahav.net.il" eudora="autourl">mailto:trn1@zahav.net.il</a>]
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, August 14, 2004 10:50 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Coalition of Women for Peace<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [CWJP] Fw: newsletter, campaign<br><br>
</font><font size=3> <br><br>
<b>Women`s Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP)<br><br>
</font><h1><b>
P.O. Box 31811, Tel Aviv<br><br>
<br>
</b></h1><h6><b>
Tel and Fax: +972-3-5227124<br><br>
<br>
E-mail:
<a href="mailto:havakell@012.net.il">havakell@012.net.il</a></i></b></h6><font size=3> <br><br>
</font><h5><b>
Newsletter August 2004</b></h5><font size=3> <br><br>
</font><h1><b> </b></h1><font size=3><b>Palestinian Political
Prisoners in Israeli Prisons Begin Hunger Strike.<br><br>
</b>Included the letter by the Committee for the Families of Political
Prisoners and Detainees <br><br>
<br><br>
<b><u>NEVE TIRZA PRISON<br><br>
</u></b> <br><br>
There are now altogether approximately 100 Palestinian women political
prisoners.<br><br>
<br><br>
On 13 June one group, about half of the women, was transferred back
to Neve Tirza from Hasharon Prison. Though they took with them, among
other belongings, the purchases they had made in the Hasharon prison
canteen and the material for handicrafts, these items were not handed
over by the Neve Tirza prison authorities, who also withheld the toys
belonging to <b>Marwat Taha's</b> baby boy <b>Wael, </b>one and a
half years old.<br><br>
<br><br>
The representatives elected by the women prisoners were not recognized by
the prison authorities until August 2004.<br><br>
<br><br>
<b><u>HASHARON PRISON<br><br>
<br><br>
</u></b>The rooms are dirty and infected with mice and cockroaches. The
heat is unbearable, The windows are closed and covered so that hardly any
air or daylight can enter. There are not enough ventilators, and often
the electricity is cut off, so that even the existing ventilators do not
work. <br><br>
<br><br>
<b><u>PROBLEMS IN HASHARON AND NEVE TIRZA<br><br>
<br><br>
</u>The wardens' attitude</b> is extremely hostile; they humiliate and
offend the prisoners.<br><br>
<b><u> <br><br>
</u>The food</b> is insufficient, of inferior quality or even spoilt, it
is dirty, often containing insects and worms. Sometimes there are
not enough portions for all the women. <br><br>
<br><br>
<b>The medical care</b> is insufficient and unprofessional. Whatever the
complaints of the women, the male nurse gives them a painkiller. If and
when a woman at last succeeds to be seen by the prison doctor, she is
supposed to undress in the presence of male wardens, which obviously she
has to refuse. - After falling down, <b>Majed Nas</b> had her swollen leg
bandaged by a male nurse. Only two weeks later she was seen by a doctor
and obtained a prescription, but the medication was not available in the
prison. - Dental care was even more difficult to obtain than regular
medical care, but as of July the prisoners are supposed to have regular
access to a dentist. <br><br>
<br><br>
<b>Letters and newspapers</b> are not distributed regularly, and
sometimes even letters that bear an exact address are returned to the
sender. - <b>Zakya 'Awisah, </b>an administrative detainee, who was
released in July, had received many letters of support. The commander of
the wing where she had been held, had threatened that if she continued to
receive so many letters, she would not be allowed to write and receive
any letters at all.<br><br>
<b> <br><br>
Mothers with babies</b> are living in the same cells with other
prisoners. Contrary to what is an accepted custom in the section of the
criminal prisoners, the doors of the political prisoners' cells where
small children live are not permitted to remain open during daytime. On
behalf of the mothers and their babies, the lawyer of The Association for
Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), Sonia Boulous, and of WOFPP, Taghrid
Jahshan, are preparing an appeal against this condition. <br><br>
<br><br>
<b>Permission to stand for matriculation exams </b>is given arbitrarily.
Out of sixteen women who asked to pass the exams, only five were given
permission. The lawyers of ACRI and WOFPP appealed this situation. The
prison authorities stated that standing for these exams is a privilege,
and they can decide on whom to bestow this privilege. The High Court's
opinion, expressed on 21 July, was that standing for matriculation exams
is not a privilege but a basic right and recommended that the prison
authorities take this into consideration. Apparently, standing for
matriculations exams will be allowed according to arrangements of the
Education Ministry of the Palestinian Authority.<br><br>
<br><br>
<b>The arbitrary punishments</b> meted out to the prisoners are
increasing and are becoming harsher.<br><br>
There is a new method of punishing the women by imposing fines that are
taken out of their prison canteen accounts. Considering that they have to
buy additional food - in order to supplement the poor prison diet - and
other basics, this is a very serious punishment. <br><br>
They are often put into solitary confinement in very small and very dirty
cells.<br><br>
They are prevented from receiving family visits.<br><br>
Quite often they are beaten, but the prison authorities do not admit
this. They claim that beating is not a punishment but a method of self
defense. <br><br>
On a hot day at the beginning of July, during recreation time, the women
were having fun splashing water on each other. For this, seven women were
fined NIS 200.- (US$ 50) each, and three women among the seven were
punished additionally by being deprived of their daily walk in the yard
for one week, and of family visits for two months. <br><br>
After a bucketful of water got spilled on the foot of a warden,<b> Maha
El'ak </b>was beaten, tied to her bed for a day and a half, and not
allowed to go to the toilet. She was held in solitary confinement for one
month.<br><br>
After the assassination of the Palestinian leader in Gaza, El-Rantissi,
some women returned the food and held a mourning ceremony by saying
prayers. For this, eight women were fined. NIS 400.- (US$ 100) each, they
were not permitted to have family visits for two months, and some of them
were put into solitary confinement for a few days.<br><br>
<b>Su'ad Ghazal</b> was punished for writing details about their prison
conditions in a letter to a French Human Rights Organization. Her
punishment was a fine of NIS 250.- (US$ 65) and no family visits for two
months.<br><br>
<b>Su'ad Abu Hamed</b> had switched off the light in her cell, after a
warden had switched it on at 4 o'clock in the morning. For this she was
held in solitary confinement and fined NIS 450.- (US$ 112). <b>Amne
Muna</b> was punished in her turn by being fined NIS 150.- (US$ 38)
because she tried to intervene on behalf of Su'ad Abu Hamed. <br><br>
<b>Lawyers' visits </b>are becoming more difficult. Lawyers have to ask a
permission to visit at least two days before the visit would take place,
and they may be refused. A few times the WOFPP's lawyer, Taghrid Jahshan,
received permission to visit, but on arriving at the prison, the prison
authorities, offering various pretexts, did not let her see the
prisoners. <br><br>
<br><br>
<b><u>PETAH TIKVA DETENTION CENTER<br><br>
<br><br>
</u>Tali Fahima</b>, 28 years old, from Tel Aviv, was detained on 9
August. She was interrogated by the "Shabak" (General Security
Services). Her lawyer told the court that Tali had been interrogated for
about 12 hours without any rest, with her hands tied behind her back. She
had already been detained in May 2004, some time after she had appeared
on television, stating that she opposed the assassination of Palestinian
leaders and was ready to serve as a human shield. <br><br>
<br><br>
</font><h1><b>THE ISRAELI MILITARY PRISON FOR
WOMEN</u></b></h1><font size=3> <br><br>
<b>Laura Milo</b>, a conscientious objector who refuses to serve in the
Israeli Army (IDF), was sentenced for the first time in March 2004
to one month in military jail. She was then sent to the "Military
Commission of Conscience" which decided that her refusal to serve
was based on political reasons and not reasons of conscience. She was
therefore sentenced again in July to 28 days in military jail.
<br>
<br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
</font><h1><font size=5><b> Campaign
for the Rights of Political Prisoners<br><br>
<br>
</b></font></h1><h2><b>Palestinian Political Prisoners in Israeli Prisons
Begin Hunger Strike</i></b></h2><font size=3> <br><br>
To all Friends and Supporters of Human Rights around the World:<br><br>
<br><br>
The <b><i>Committee for the Families of Political Prisoners and Detainees
in the West Bank</i></b>, representing 7,500 political prisoners
currently in Israeli prisons, is seeking the support of the international
community in its campaign against the gross violations of their rights
that the prisoners are enduring and against the appalling conditions
under which they are being detained.<br><br>
<br><br>
Political prisoners in Israeli prisons will be commencing a hunger strike
on Sunday, August 15, 2004 to protest their conditions. They complain
that the conditions they experience are reminiscent of the former Abu
Ghoraib facility in Iraq which gained worldwide notoriety recently for
its treatment of detainees. <br><br>
<br><br>
When informed by the prisoners of their intended hunger strike prison
authorities responded with harsher treatment, vowing not to give in to
any of the prisoners’ demands even if the hunger strikes result in the
deaths of prisoners. <br><br>
<br><br>
Some of the conditions that the prisoners are protesting
include:<br><br>
<br><br>
● Arbitrary and indiscriminate beating of
prisoners in their cells, in prison courtyards and during transportation
to and from prisons.<br><br>
● Arbitrary and indiscriminate firing of tear
gas into prisoner’s cells and prison courtyards and intimidation of
prisoners by guards entering their cells with guns. <br><br>
● Humiliating strip searches of prisoners in
full view of other prisoners and guards each time they enter or exit
their cells<br><br>
● Subjecting prisoners to solitary confinement
for excessive periods of time, for months and even years.<br><br>
● Arbitrary imposition of financial penalties
on prisoners for minor infractions, arbitrary revocation of visitation
rights and extended confinement to cells as punishment for minor
infractions such as singing or speaking too loudly<br><br>
● Confining children with adult prisoners and
political prisoners with criminals <br><br>
● Withholding or delaying medical treatment and
the provision of medication to sick detainees<br><br>
● Severely restricting the category of family
members entitled to visit prisoners thus denying visitation rights to
other close family members<br><br>
● Arbitrary denial of travel permits to family
members of prisoners living in the West Bank or Gaza so that they cannot
travel to prisons to see their relatives <br><br>
● Imposing conditions on travel for family
members and obstacles that result in travel of a few hours being
prolonged to 16 or 17 hours for a 45-minute visit<br><br>
● Conducting humiliating strip searches of
visiting family members even though they are usually separated from the
prisoners by a full glass barrier as well as a wire mesh
barrier.<br><br>
● Providing such poor visitation facilities
that prisoners find it difficult to see or hear their loved
ones<br><br>
● Maintaining prisoners on near starvation
diets that are insufficient to sustain health.<br><br>
● Applying rules concerning items that
prisoners may receive from their families arbitrarily and inconsistently,
on the whim of the guards, with each visit.<br><br>
● Withdrawing studying privileges that in the
past allowed prisoners to continue their high school or university
studies through correspondence courses <br><br>
<br><br>
The treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israel violates both
international and Israeli laws, as well as rules governing the
administration of Israeli prisons. The <b><i>Committee for the
Families</i></b> is planning a series of activities in the West Bank to
coincide with the start of the hunger strike on August 15<sup>th</sup>. A
press conference in Ramallah will kick off the campaign. Hunger strike
solidarity tents will be set up in the centre of all the cities in the
West Bank and in all the Red Cross Centres and will be occupied by the
public around the clock for as long as the prisoners’ strike lasts. The
Palestinian Prime Minister’s office has declared August 18<sup>th</sup>
a National Day for Prisoners for all Palestinians to show solidarity with
the prisoners. All government ministers, members of the Palestinian
National Council and heads of all political parties will join the public
in the Solidarity Tents and fast in support of the prisoners.<br><br>
<br><br>
Other planned activities are: On Friday, August 20, after Jum’a prayers
at mosques, processions will march towards the Solidarity Tents. On
Saturday, August 21<sup>st</sup>, Palestinians in various Israeli cities
will march, together with other supporters, to the prisons where
Palestinian political prisoners are being held and on Sunday, August 22,
after church services processions will march to the Solidarity Tents.
These processions will be held every weekend during the campaign. On
August 23<sup>rd</sup> children of the prisoners will lead a procession.
On August 25<sup>th</sup> all professionals involved in the Justice
system in Palestine will congregate at the Solidarity Tents in their
official legal gowns and will lead a procession to the centre of their
cities. On August 26<sup>th</sup> the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Arun
Gandhi, will lead a mass procession in Ramallah. On August
29<sup>th</sup> all members of the public are invited to join the open
hunger strike, and in the evening candlelight processions will be
held. <br><br>
<br><br>
The families of the Palestinian political prisoners plead with you, the
members of the international community, to join in solidarity with our
sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters who are being
held in Israeli prisons by organizing an International Day of Solidarity
with Palestinian Prisoners on September 4, 2004. We ask you to
demonstrate, march, hold silent vigils or activities to publicize the
plight of the political prisoners and bring pressure on the government of
Israel to cease these violations of law and to treat Palestinian
prisoners as human beings entitled to basic human rights.<br><br>
<br><br>
We ask you also register your protests by letter, fax, email, or
telephone to the officials listed below. Ask them to stop the harsh
treatment of Palestinian political prisoners and to accede to the demands
of the striking prisoners so that the conditions under which they are
imprisoned are consistent with international norms of human rights and
basic decency.<br><br>
<br><br>
Also, please register your protest with your own political
representatives and governments ministers.<br><br>
<br><br>
Please send a copy of your protest message to
<a href="mailto:alhureih@yahoo.com">alhureih@yahoo.com</a> Messages of
support from organizations would also be appreciated by the prisoners and
their families. Please send them to the same address with some details of
the organization. For more information visit our temporary website
at
<a href="http://www.palsolidarity.org/prisoners">www.palsolidarity.org/prisoners</a>
or telephone (972) 2 277 4602 or email: <a href="mailto:info@palsolidarity.org">info@palsolidarity.org</a><br><br>
<br><br>
With much appreciation for your valued support,<br><br>
<br><br>
Mahmoud Ziadi, General Secretariat,<br><br>
Families of Palestinian Political Prisoners<br><br>
PO Box 2151, Ramallah, Palestine.<br><br>
<br><br>
List of Israeli government officials:<br><br>
<br><br>
</font><h3><b>Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon Minister of Defense, Shaul Mofaz </u></b></h3><font size=3>Office of the Prime Minister Ministry of Defense, 37 Kaplan St.<br><br>
3 Kaplan St. PO Box 187 Tel Aviv 61909, Israel <br><br>
Jerusalem 91919, Israel Fax: +972-3-6962757 / -691 7915<br><br>
Telegram: Prime Minister, Jerusalem Israel email: <a href="mailto:sar@mod.gov.il">sar@mod.gov.il</a> or <br><br>
Fax: +972 2 6705475 <a href="mailto:pniot@mod.gov.il">pniot@mod.gov.il</a><br><br>
email:<a href="mailto:pm_eng@pmo.gov.il">pm_eng@pmo.gov.il</a><br><br>
<br><br>
</font><h3><b>Minister of Justice, Yosef Lapid Minister of Interior Security</u></b></h3><font size=3>Ministry of Justice Tzahi Hanegbi<br><br>
29 Salah al-Din St. Kiryat Hamemshala, POB 18182<br><br>
Jerusalem 91010, Israel Jerusalem 91181<br><br>
Telegram: Justice Minister, Jerusalem Israel Tel: 972-2-5309999 Fax: 2-5847872<br><br>
Fax: +972 2 6285492 email: <a href="mailto:sar@justice.gov.il">sar@justice.gov.il</a> email: sar@mops.gov.il <br><br>
<br><br>
Addresses of Israeli embassies worldwide can be found at <a href="http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/isreal1.htm">www.embassyworld.com/embassy/isreal1.htm</a> or go to the Government of Israel website at <a href="http://www.info.gov.il/FirstGov/">www.info.gov.il/FirstGov/</a> <br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
</font><tt>_________________________________<br><br>
Coalition of Women for a Just Peace<br>
info@coalitionofwomen4peace.org<br>
<a href="http://www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org">http://www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org<br><br>
</a></tt><font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3><a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
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