Palestinians mistreated in Israeli prison: Lawyer

Rasa - Accounts given by Palestinian prisoners show that they are subjected to assault and torture at Israeli Etzion Prison, says a lawyer with the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners’ Affairs.

News ID: 423809

Date: 22 September 2016 - 20:00

RNA - In a statement released on Thursday, Hassan al-Sheikh said that the Palestinians held at Etzion Prison, located south of the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds, had asked him to deliver a message to all responsible authorities, calling on them to intervene and put an end to Israel’s inhumane treatment of Palestinian inmates.

According to the statement, Israeli forces initially broke into Palestinians’ homes and beat them in front of their families. Those arrested were later assaulted and “humiliated” by Israeli soldiers during their transfer to the prison in a military vehicle.

Israeli forces continued to mistreat the Palestinian detainees in the jail by raiding their cells and prohibiting them from sleeping, drinking water, and using the bathroom, the statement added.

Sheikh said Palestinian prisoners at Etzion Prison complained of being given “inedible” food.

Many prisoners reported that they were suffering from skin disorders due to the poor conditions of the prison and lack of adequate healthcare, he added.

In March, the Palestinian committee said Etzion inmates had been “aggressively” assaulted by Israeli prison authorities and were subjected to “humiliating” inspections.

More than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in some 17 Israeli jails, many of them arbitrarily.

Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes in an attempt to voice outrage at the so-called administrative detention policy, which is a form of imprisonment without trial or charge that allows Israel to incarcerate Palestinians for up to six months.

Last year, the Israeli regime passed a controversial bill allowing the force-feeding of hunger-striking inmates.

111/847/C