Newsletter May 2005 of Women's Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP)
All the women Palestinian political prisoners are now held in Hasharon prison (Telmond), after the prison authorities have moved the last group of women from Neve Tirza to Hasharon prison, except Tali Fahima.. In many cells in Telmond the windows are covered 24 hours a day, and there is no light and no fresh air. In Hasharon Prison there are 115 women, among them six administrative detainees and 16 minor girls. There are about five women in various detention centers.
Family visits. There are many obstacles that make the family visits a rare event. The first obstacle is the ongoing closure; then there are people who are forbidden to leave their dwelling place or to visit the prison. For example, Lyla Bouhary from Nablus hasn’t seen her family for three years.
There are also the punishments. The prison authorities use privation of family visits as a common punishment. For example Amne Muna, Aaysha Abayat, Sanaa Aamr and Fairuz Marhil were punished by being deprived of family visits for a period of six months. Upon the lawyers’ protest against this harsh measure, they were answered that the maximum period for the punishment is two months. The prison authorities, though, found a way to circumvent this stipulation: After two months they allow one visit and then again forbid visits and repeat this at will.
When the families finally succeed in getting in, the visit is difficult: There are 15 families at one visit in the same room, each family consists of approximately three persons; there is a partition made of fiberglass and two wire fences between the prisoners and the visitors, which makes it very difficult to communicate.
The health care in prison continues to be negligent. For example, many prisoners need dental care. A prison dentist visits once in two months. In order to see him a prisoner has to wait eight months. Many women suffer from bad health: Kidney problems, back pains, stomach disorders, dermatology problems, and gall bladder and psychiatry problems.
Maha Awad has problems with her eyesight and needs glasses. The prison authorities refuse to let her family bring her glasses on the pretext that she has to get permission from the prison ophthalmologist whose last visit was four months ago.
Possibilities
to study:
33 prisoners have asked to participate in matriculation exams. The prison
authorities refuse to allow prisoners who are still not sentenced (nine
prisoners) to take part in the examinations. Every year the authorities
try to prevent prisoners from taking part in the examinations. On 14
April 2005, WOFPP lawyer Taghrid Jahashan took affidavits from detainees
Maha Awad and Bayan Alkhada and from the prisoners’ representatives
Lina Jarbuny and Amne Muna. Association for Civil Rights’ lawyer,
Sonia Bulus, appealed the prison authorities' arbitrary act, and the
authorities gave in.
There are not enough books to study. The prisoners asked the Red Cross to bring more books, but nothing has been done yet in the matter.
Several prisoners wish to study in Arabic by correspondence. The prison authorities would allow them to study in Hebrew only, but these women do not know Hebrew.
Canteen:
At present, the prison authorities demand the receipt of payment to
let the prisoners use the canteen. It is a new bureaucratic demand to
make more difficulties. In spite of their canteen problems the women
prisoners donated part of their money to the minor Palestinian political
prisoners whose situation is worse than theirs.
Now there is a tennis table in the courtyard, and the women may use it during recreation time.
The campaign
to release Manal and Nour.
On 8 April, WOFPP submitted a petition for the immediate release of
Manal
www.addameer.org/addameer/campaigns/manal/activities.html
to the International Committee of the Red Cross, to the Israeli Defense Minister and to the Israeli Commander in Chief, but has not yet received an answer. At present there are some 280 signatures.
Recently the prison allowed the Red Cross to bring toys to Manal's baby Nour. He underwent a hernia operation. Manal went with him to the hospital and remained handcuffed all the time. Therefore she couldn’t even hold him.
Tali Fahima.
The High Court decided to continue holding her in prison until the end
of the legal procedure. Her trial will continue in July 2005.
New prisoners:
Malak Ziad Mahmud Hanefa, Athsha Sabihat, Kholud Safi Mansur, Muntaha,
Magda Fidda and Mariam Altarabine.
Sumayah Alshaar, a mother of 9 children from Gaza she was released after a month.
Officially every prisoner, after serving two thirds of his/her sentence, can appeal to be released. In practice, the appeals of the political prisoners are always rejected.
Releases:
Suad Ghazal was released in March. She served about 6 years and 3 months.
Mirvat Taha was released after her lawyer submitted an appeal to the District Court (appeal against the Parole Board who rejected her request to be released). She was released on 4 February. She served about 2 years and 8 months.
Dalia Srandah, a student from Jerusalem, was detained for 8 months without a trial.
Arifa Duykat was released on 13 March.
Four women prisoners were released in the framework of the agreement to release 500 Palestinian prisoners: Rawda Rabiaa, Amira Abu Daraa, Amal Alan and Nima Nakhle.
Women's
Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP)
P.O. Box 31811, Tel Aviv
Tel.: +972-3-5227124
Fax: +972-3-5299771
E-mail: trn1@zahav.net.il