Alert - Palestinian Women Prisoners - Mandela Inst Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - mandela - Sept 30, 2001 Mandela: Deteriorating Conditions of Palestinian Female Prisoners Reach Dangerous Levels Action Alert For Immediate Release - 26 September 2001 The Mandela Institute for Human Rights is gravely concerned about the alarmingly deteriorating conditions of Palestinian female political prisoners held in Israeli custody. Israeli military authorities hold 13 Palestinian females accused of resisting the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The following tables contain general information about them: Ramla Prison-Female Section: No. Name ID # Age Residence Arrest Date Sentence 1 Suna M. Raie 943461781 33 yrs Qalqilia 13/4/1997 12 yrs 2 Nisreen Y. Taha 944121656 28 yrs Nablus 24/3/1998 4.3 yrs 3 Suad H. Ghazal 942275660 18 yrs Nablus 13/12/1998 6.5 yrs 4 Maha I. Ekk 911669299 24 yrs Bethlehem 01/08/2000 Detained 5 Abeer I. Amro 411615552 20 yrs Hebron 22/02/2000 Detained 6 Sana I. Amro 850812082 15 yrs Hebron 22/02/2000 1 yr 7 Sumayya Z. Abed 955982954 - Ramallah 28/03/2001 Detained 8 Rabaa Hamayel 950438234 15 yrs Nablus 28/05/2001 Detained 9 Wujdan Boujeh 905712873 22 yrs Hebron 25/02/2001 Detained 10 Iman Ghazzawi 904198223 26 yrs Nablus 03/08/2001 Detained Abu-Qbir Detention Center: 11 Amneh Muna 81042962 25 yrs Ramallah 19/01/2001 Detained 12 Sawsan Abu-Turqi 850313069 14 yrs Hebron 04/09/2001 Detained Russian Compound Detention Center: 13 Ahlam A. Tamimi N/A 21 yrs Ramallah 04/09/2001 Detained In an attempt to break their spirits, Israeli prison authorities assaulted the Palestinian females on three different occasions since July 2001. The assaults were led by Prison Warden Ofer Malka and Security Officer Mira Weizman. The last of these assaults was on Thursday 20 September 2001. On that day, Prison Warden ordered Palestinian female prisoners to pack their belongings and removed them from the holding section without giving any reasons. Amneh Muna was told she was being transferred to Solitary Confinement for insulting the warden. A group of seven prison guards, armed with batons, stormed into the section and started beating Amneh Muna who fell unconscious. On 24 September 2001, Israeli prison authority transferred Amneh Muna and Nisreen Abu-Turqi to Solitary Confinement cells at Abu-Qbir Detention Cenetr. Palestinian political prisoners have been complaining about Israeli ill treatment for a long time. They have the following demands: - Access to books, family mail, stationary and newspapers; - Permission to visit inmates held in the same section; - Electric fans; - Exercise time for one hour and provision of sunshades over exercise area; - Extension of daily breaks to three hours; - Permission to allow Palestinian physicians treat Palestinian prisoners. Israeli authorities ban Palestinian lawyers from visiting and/or representing Palestinian prisoners. Israel only allows lawyers from Jerusalem who are registered with the Israeli Bar Association to represent Palestinian prisoners. Furthermore, family visits have been disrupted for over a year because of Israeli restrictions on movement of Palestinians into Israel. Accordingly, the Mandela Institute for Human Rights warns against Israeli arbitrary measures against Palestinian prisoners in general and female prisoners in particular. Should these measures continue undeterred Palestinian prisoners would have no choice but engage in reactive measures to protest Israeli oppressive measures? The prisoners have nothing to lose but their chains. -END- ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytfem-10.01.01-20:52:40-23697