There are, at present, 37 women political prisoners in the Israeli jails: 18 in Hasharon Prison (Tel Mond), 18 in Damoon Prison (Carmel Mountain), 1 in Neve Tirza Prison (Ramle).
Hasharon Prison (Tel Mond)
Wafaa elBis,
from Jebaliya Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip, was arrested on 20 June 2005. She was in a separation cell in Neve Tirza Prison for about six months. On 12 January 2011, at a session in court, the prison authorities asked to extend Wafaa's separation an additional six months. WOFPP's lawyer represented Wafaa. The court decided that, until 9 February 2011, the prison authorities would examine possibilities of transferring Wafaa from the separation cell in Neve Tirza. If they do not transfer her, they should give reasons for this refusal. On 9 February, she was transferred to Hasharon Prison to a wing with other political prisoners.
Newspapers
The women political prisoners do not receive some of the Arabic newspapers that are sent to them, although it is a permitted to receive newspapers that are printed in Israel.
Handicraft
The prison authorities are still preventing the women political prisoners' families from handing over handicraft material. The International Committee of the Red Cross brought them material for handicraft, though only a very small amount that is not sufficient.
Searches
On 31 January 2011 at 2 o'clock before dawn, a large number of prison authority forces entered one of the women political prisoners' cell, woke the prisoners up, handcuffed their hands and forced them to go outside. Then they ordered them to go back into the cell where the guards searched them in the nude.
They took from the prisoners all the electrical gadgets for checking them and returned them later, but the television and the heater were now out of order. They also took many other things, including letters and notebooks, and did not return them until the women prisoners threatened to go on a hunger strike. Then the prison authorities returned everything, except the prisoners' notebooks.
Health care
'Abeer Odeh,
from Tulkarem district, was arrested on 9 August 2009. She suffers from many health problems but the prison authorities do not grant her proper medical care.
Family visits
Ahlam elTamimi,
from Ramallah, was arrested on 14 September 2001. The prison authorities refused her request to meet her husband who is also a political prisoner.
Rima Daraghmah,
from Tobas, Jenin district, was arrested on 28 July 2004. The prison authorities refused her request to meet her brother who is also a political prisoner.
Nilly Safadi,
33 years old, from Nablus, was arrested on 11 November 2009. The prison authorities refused her request to meet her husband who is also a political prisoner.
Irina Sarahna,
from Deheishe Refugee Camp, Bethlehem district, was arrested on 23 May 2002. Her mother and her eldest daughter who are living in Ukraine came to visit her on 15 March 2011. After she had been detained nine years in prison, it was the first visit of her eldest daughter. The prison authorities refused the request that her husband also be able to meet his eldest daughter.
WOFPP accompanied and helped Irina's mother and daughter once they arrived at the airport, and until their return to the airport. The former prisoner Magda Fadda helped them a lot by doing translations on the phone.
Kahera elSa'adi,
from Jenin, was arrested on 30 May 2002. Her eldest daughter asked for a permit to visit her: After about a year and half, the Israeli authorities gave her a one-time permit.
Women under administrative detention
Hanaa Shalabi,
from Burqin, Jenin district, an administrative detainee, was arrested on 14 September 2009. In March 2011, the Israeli authorities extended her administrative detention an additional four months.
Kifah Katash,
37 years old, from elBirah, an administrative detainee, was arrested on 1 August 2010. In April 2011, the Israeli authorities extended her administrative detention an additional four months.
Canteen
After a period during which the prison authority did not allow the prisoners to purchase pens in the canteen, they agreed to allow them to buy one kind of pen.
New prisoners
'Aliya J'abri,
an administrative detainee, 30 years old, a teacher from Hebron, was arrested from her house on 15 February 2011 at 2 o'clock at night, and brought to a detention center in Qiryat Arba. She was then transferred to Ofer Detention Center, and after she had been subjected to an interrogation, she was transferred to Hasharon Prison. On 2 March 2011, the Israeli authorities issued an administrative detention order against her.
Samha Hijaz,
39 years old, a mother of six, from elMazr'a elSharqiya, Ramallah district, was arrested on 8 February 2011. She was held in Ashkelon Detention Center with criminal women prisoners until 20 February 2011 and was then transferred to Hasharon Prison.
Amal Taqataqa,
22 years old, from Bet Fajar, Ramallah district, was arrested in March 2011. She was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and a fine of 2000 NIS.
Released prisoners
Nada elDirbas,
from Jerusalem, was arrested on 5 May 2007 and released on 6 March 2011.
Muntha elTawil,
44 years old, from elBirah, was arrested on 8 February 2010 and released on 1 February 2011.
Hadeel Abu Turki,
15 years old, from Hebron, was arrested on 14 November 2010 and was released on 27 January 2011.
Damoon Prison (Carmel Mountain)
Ramia Abu Samara,
31 years old, from Yata, Hebron district, was arrested on 16 December 2010. On 30 March 2011, she was transferred from Damoon Prison to Hasharon Prison against her will. She went on a hunger strike demanding to return to Damoon Prison; the prison authorities transferred her to a cell in the separation wing where a camera is working 24 hours a day. On 3 April 2011, an officer told her that she will be transferred back to Damoon Prison. She suspended her hunger strike and was returned to Damoon Prison.
Punishments
At the beginning of January 2011, a group of political prisoners:
Duaa elJayusi, Woroud Qasem, 'Aisha Ghanimat and Somoud Qaraja
returned one meal as an action of solidarity with
Linan Abu Ghulmeh
who was on a hunger strike demanding to move to Damoon Prison (on 16 January 2010 she was transferred to Damoon Prison). The prison authorities imposed punishments on them: They prohibited them from receiving family visits and buying in the canteen for one month until 2 February 2011; they stopped the power in the cell for three days (therefore there was no light and heat in the cell), and prohibited them from having recreation time for three days.
Family visits
'Aysha 'Ghanimat,
20 years old, from Surif, Hebron district, was arrested on 2 September 2009. Recently, the Israeli authorities did not allow her mother to visit her.
Faten elSa'adi,
from Jenin Refugee Camp, was arrested on 8 May 2008. Her mother asked to renew her permit to visit the prison. After about eight months of waiting, she obtained a permit for a one-time visit.
Suad Nazal,
24 years old, from Qalqilya, was arrested on 23 August 2009. Her mother visited her in January after a year during which the Israeli authorities had not given her a permit.
The parole board rejected Suad's request for early release after she has served more then two thirds of her prison term.
Letters
The women political prisoners receive many letters from abroad that encourage them, and they are glad to get these letters.
Sentence
Hanan elHamuz,
41 years old, mother of three, from 'Aza Refugee Camp, Bethlehem district, was arrested on 11 October 2010. On 28 March, she was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment and a fine of 3000 NIS.
Neve Tirza Prison (Ramle)
Maryam elTarabin,
from Jericho, was arrested on 24 January 2005. In March 2011, she was transferred from Hasharon Prison to a separation cell in the criminal prisoners' wing in Neve Tirza Prison.
Awarta village, Nablus district
During the last month, the Israeli army frequently entered Awarta village and arrested village residents: men, women and children. On 7 April, after midnight, the Israeli army entered the village again, imposed a curfew and arrested dozens of women from their homes. At present, all the women have been released.
For donations to WOFPP:
Bank account:
Women's Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP(
Account number: 471067
BANK HAPOALIM
Branch 532
Daniel Frisch St. 3,Tel Aviv 64078, ISRAEL
IBAN number: IL 60-0125-3200-0000-0471-067
BIC (swift): POALILIT
Address to receive the contribution:
WOFPP
Frug Street 30
Tel Aviv 63417, ISRAEL