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2,098 Prisoners Crammed in 20 Sections at Negev Desert Camp

28/02/2006

GAZA, February 28, 2006 (IPC + Agencies) - - The Al Asra Media Center confirmed that the number of prisoners in the Negev Desert Detention Camp reached 2,098 prisoners, distributed on 20 sections, while reporting abuses and restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities at Hasharon Prison.

The center added, in a press release, that the Hasharon Prison wardens broke into prisoners' cells and confiscated their electric appliances, without justification, and only after arduous negotiations with the prison administration were the prisoners' representatives able to receive a promise to consider the return these appliances.

In a statement to the center, Prisoner Ahmad Zaid said that a fellow prisoner in the same section he's in suffers from severe burns in his face, and that he is in desperate need of medical attention. He also mentioned that the prisoner was denied visitation by the Israeli wardens.

The Center affirmed that he considers these measures extremely dangerous and illegal towards the prisoners, and called on international rights organizations to step in and protect the prisoners, pointing out that any future political settlement will not succeed without including the release of all prisoners in it.

In the meantime, an Israeli military court sentenced on Monday Nabil Al Saadi, from Jenin province, to 30 months in prison, and extended the detention of Abdel Alim Ezzeddin, Eyad Abul Rub and Rabea Jaradat. All of the prisoners are from Jenin and are accused by Israel of being members in the Islamic Jihad movement.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Association (Hossam), Hisham Abdel Razeq, demanded the next Palestinian government to put the issue of prisoner on top of its priorities.

Abdel Razeq added, during the weekly sit-in organized by prisoners' families in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Gaza, that the next government should demand improving the detention conditions of prisoners and exert pressure on the Israeli government to release them.

As for moving the management of the Negev Desert Detention Camp to the Israeli Prison Services, Abdel Razeq maintained that this move will change the living conditions of prisoners, as they'll live in cement cells rather than the previous open tents, and the system of visitations and detention conditions will vary.

He appealed to all local and international rights bodies to continue their support of the issue of prisoners, and expose the inhuman Israeli practices against them, and put pressure on the world opinion so as to embarrass Israel and push the political process forward