International Day for Palestinian Prisoners
Press Release An International Initiative to release the Palestinian Prisoners is demanded For us, the Palestinians, April 17th 2008 marks the 34th Anniversary of the "Palestinian Prisoner Day"; in this occasion we reassure that an accurate Arab and International Agenda is needed to release all the Palestinian and Arab prisoners from the Israeli jails. The Palestinian Prisoners have been subjected to a prolonged suffering in the Israeli Jails. The 11.000 Palestinian and Arab prisoners are being detained in the Israeli jails; among them: 13 are seriously ill and have been sentenced for more than 25 years; 80 prisoners have been detained for more than 20 years; more than 920 prisoners are considered as Administrative prisoners; 350 Palestinian children prisoners are under the age of 18; 26 out of 80 Palestinian female prisoners are married; in Jan. 17th 2008, the Palestinian female detainee Fatima Al Ziq, gave birth of her boy baby in the jail. The Israeli Jails Administrations have been adopting a policy of medical negligence against the prisoners; there are 1300 ill male and female prisoners who are in an urgent need for immediate treatment. Many of the detainees are locked in Al-Ramleh prison; 192 Palestinian prisoners had passed away due to medical negligence. Palestinian & Arab prisoners in Israeli jails are living under extreme difficult circumstances where jails lack even the minimal international standards regarding the treatment of prisoners. The cells are overcrowded, the beds are insufficient and the prisoners suffer from an unhealthy and dirty surrounding with no fresh air, no sunlight and no possibility to meet even the basic hygiene needs. During the cold weather, the prisoners are left without warm clothes, blankets and covers. Palestinian prisoners are exposed to various forms of torture such as handcuffing, suspending, cursing, beating, deprivation of sleep and interrogation for extended period of time. They are exposed to solitary confinement in special sections of the prison as well as to constant transferring from one prison to another to prevent contact with their friends and comrades; very often Palestinian prisoners are deprived from meeting their relatives. DAIR appeals that: • An Arab Palestinian initiative should be launched to release the Palestinian and Arab prisoners from the Israeli Jails; all International human rights associations that have a position within the UN have to participate in this initiative. • An urgent interference campaign against the humiliation and torture that used by the Israeli Jails Authorities. • An urgent session must be held by all the parties that had signed Fourth Geneva Convention, to discuss the Palestinian Prisoners case. Department of Arab & International Relations /PLO Ramallah - Palestine April 17th, 2008