The report of May and early June issued by the Center for the Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights “Hurryyat” about the visits conducted by attorney Ibtissam Al-Anati to Prisons Ofer, Hadarim, HaSharon, Megiddo, and Ramla showed a considerable increase in the numbers of sick prisoners and particularly children.
In her visit to Ofer, Al-Anati visited Prisoner Abdul Fattah Doleh, representative of the department of minors, who stated that the number of health cases in Ofer has reached 135 in all departments (their names are available at the Hurryyat Center), including 25 sick children and 40 injuries from live ammunition.
A week earlier, he added, the prison administration conducted an inspection of department 12 and thus moved all the prisoners of the department to the prisons of Rimon and Nafha. They inspected every room to the smallest detail, and after a week moved the prisoners back to the department. He stressed the difficult circumstances facing the prisoners of Ofer concerning the absence of basic needs for new detainees especially the lack of garments and the restrictions imposed by the administration against admitting any. He also pointed that most of the children are assaulted and beaten both through arrest and during interrogation. He urged the foreign delegations to come visit the minors departments and closely check the circumstances for themselves and refer back to their embassies as did the delegation from the German embassy after a visit. Doleh referred to several health cases including prisoner Mohammad Imad Ayyad of Abu Deis suffering an injury and a genetic disability in his hand; Mohammad Salah Hammash of Dheisheh Refugee Camp arrested with a broken arm; Mo’tasem Ziad Masalem of Khader suffering Migraine; Khalil Khaled Salah suffering an injury in his foot; and Jihad Omar Alsair of Khader suffering a swelling in his broken arm.
Al-Anati met with several other ailing prisoners including the following:
* Raed Abd Al-‘Afou Mohammad Al-Amleh
An administrative detainee from Beit Oula – Hebron.
Date of arrest: 02\11\2014
Date of Birth: 17\01\1986
He was diagnosed with hepatitis before imprisonment. His family sent his health records top the prison administration but the administration denies that and thus denies giving him the proper food or medication while he suffers his pain with painkillers.
During his arrest in the Naqab prison in 2007, he was suffering from a rubber bullet injury in his right eye. He was released a few days later and headed to the Ahli Hospital for treatment. He was arrested again shortly after, and this last arrest is the fifth time.
Since 2006, his administrative detention is always renewed for 6 months and thus he abstains from the Israeli courts. Al-Amleh is suffering from Spinal Disc Herniation, is diagnosed with Hepatitis C, and suffers from Asthma.
* Nabil Naim Ishaq Al-Natsheh
An administrative detainee from Hebron. Married with 8 children.
Date of Arrest: 27\03\2013
Date of Birth: 10\07\1958
He was previously diagnosed with cancer in the lymph nodes. He was treated with chemotherapy abroad but now needs a check-up every 6 months. The prison administration send him to the Hadassa Hospital every 6 months, and he returns to prison the very same day. He does a CT scan annually, and the last scan proved positive.
Al-Natsheh is on blood pressure medications including Diuretics and blockers (Normatine, Coumadin, Tritace, and Famotidine). He mentioned suffering pain in his joints, back and pelvis last year. An external doctor called Al-Ghadban was admitted by the administration and he received a treatment. Recently, he is sensing numbness in his right foot.
In HaSharon Prison, Al-Anati met with Amin Zyad who confirmed that minor prisoners are in good conditions; they are checked up constantly, are being educated and have a scheduled academic syllabus. But he stressed the need to look after them, follow up their affairs, and take good care of them.
In her visit to the female prisoners, she met with Falasteen Farid Abdul Latif Najem from Nablus. Sentenced to 4 years, arrested on 20\11\2013, and born on 10\02\1986. She confirmed being in good health conditions and stated that the prison circumstances are good and tranquil. Prisoners Naheel Abu Eisheh, Ihsan Dababseh, Yasmine Sha’ban, and Hanyeh Naser spent two weeks in solitary confinement as a punishment for causing trouble in prison; events that led to the imprisonment of Shirin Essawi in solitary confinement in the Ramla Prison. Lina Al-Jarbouni stated that Jihad Sharawneh was sentenced for 4 months, Wafa’ Di’mess to 16 months and a 2000 shekel fine, while new comer Muna Al-Sayeh from Nablus was in the Jalameh Interrogation Center. As for their overall circumstances, she noted that things are quiet and that the prisoners are in good situation, but stressed the need to tackle the issues of the transfer vehicles (bosta) and the sick detainees and maximize the efforts and the serious work towards their cause.
In her visit to Hadarim Prison, Haitham Antari stated that the prison conditions are good where 17 prisoners are graduate students while the rest of the department are all in their bachelor studies. He stressed the importance of backing Khader Adnan’s hunger strike through the media and mentioned the health condition of sick prisoner Ali D’ana suffering problems in the head.
Al-Anati also met with prisoner Said Naser Mahomoud Arar from Qarawat Bani Zeid – Ramallah, sentenced to life imprisonment and 20 years. He was arrested on 29\09\2005 and was born on 27\07\1980. He told the lawyer that he is suffering high blood pressure and is being checked up only once a week on Saturday morning. As for Eyad Khalil Abu
Sarah, he told her that the prisoner is taking 9 different medications everyday including cortisone which caused him to weigh 130 kilograms. In Nafha he was given an expired drug and when he attempted to file a complaint against the prison services he was transferred to Hadarim prison as a punishment. Lutfi Al-J’edi from Qalqilya is also suffering constant pain in the abdomen and only eats specific food. There are 43 health cases out of the 110 prisoners in the department suffering health problems varying from mild to critical.
In Megiddo Prison, the lawyer met the following prisoners:
* ‘Ahed Khaled Mansour:
From Salfit, sentenced to 22 months, arrested on 19\09\2013 and born on 21\06\1986.
He suffered a nerve disease called “Bell’s Palsy” during his stay in the Naqab Prison 5 months ago. The symptoms include a paralysis in the left phrenic and a twisted mouth. He was transferred to the Soroka Medical Center when affected where he was diagnosed with palsy after undertaking the necessary tests. He is now suffering from pain in the kidneys and high blood pressure but is not given any medication.
* Khalil Mohammad Khalil Hakim:
From Salfit, in detention since 13\08\2014, born on 16\11\1994.
He suffers problems in his eyes during summer but is currently not getting any medication. Before imprisonment he used to apply cool water compresses on his eyes and a specific collyrium, but the prison clinic does not have the collyrium and did not provide any alternative.
* Hamdon Ahmad Taher Awad:
From Jenin, sentenced for 9 years and a half, arrested on 12\04\2006. Born on 01\06\1985.
He is suffering severe pain in his right kidney. He was affected 3 years ago in Megiddo Prison and is having pills whenever necessary. He currently suffers an inflammation in the throat and chest with a strong cough. 10 days ago he had a high fever reaching 42 degrees due to the inflammation. He previously asked for a doctor but was denied entrance. In 6 months he terminates his sentence.
* Maher Abdul-Raheem Mohammad Abdul-Raheem:
From Nablus, detained on 09\07\2014, and was born on 23\07\1988.
He has gastric ulcers that worsened during imprisonment and is currently taking (Losec) for medication. He was given (Flamoxine) capsules because of an abscess or a pimple in his face, but it developed into a rash that left scars. When he asked the nurse about his condition the nurse told him that the medication was inappropriate for his case, but the new doctor refused to take responsibility blaming the previous doctor for prescribing such a medication for this case.
* Motawakel Mohammad Mahmoud Radwan:
From Azon – Qalqilya, sentenced for 21 years and a half, arrested on 05\10\2003. Born on 01\11\1978.
He experienced problems in the knee (ruptured cruciate ligament and inflammation) during his stay in the Ramon Prison. He was operated upon in the Afoula Hospital 4
years ago but is still in pain where his knee swells with fluid, while he only takes painkillers.
Hurryyat calls upon the international community for immediate intervention to urge the occupying state take responsibility for its actions and thus to provide the necessary treatment for the sick prisoners, and release the critical health cases and those suffering chronic diseases and disabilities.
Hurryyat also urged the World Health Organization along with the International Committee of the Red Cross to form a joint committee to visit prisons and witness the health conditions and torment the sick prisoners are subject to especially those with cancer threatening their lives in the Ramla Prison Hospital. The center confirms that the prolonged suffering of the prisoners along these past years is inacceptable as their reality has not changed, while the international community has done nothing to urge the occupation authorities adopt their responsibilities according to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and many international treaties, and force the release of the chronic health cases.
Hurryyat called upon the Palestinian leadership to immediately transfer the prisoners’ case to the International Criminal Court, provide them with legal protection against the continuous arbitrariness of the occupation, prosecute the criminals committing torture and murder against them, stop the policy of medical negligence, and rescue the lives of sick prisoners before it becomes too late.