There are at present 6 women political prisoners in the Israeli jails: 5 are held in Hasharon Prison and one in Ashkelon Detention Center.
Hashron Prison (Tel Mond)
On 25 March 2012, all the women political prisoners were transferred to wing two which was the criminal detainees' wing. The prison authorities told them that all the criminal detainees would be transferred from wing two, and so it happened for two weeks.
After two weeks the prison authorities transferred the criminal detainees back to wing two, the wing in which the political prisoners are being held now. Although there is a separation, they are in the same wing, and the situation is very difficult for the women political prisoners.
The way to the women criminal detainees' cells passes near the political prisoners' cells, which means that both the women criminal detainees and male guards pass near their cells day and night. When a criminal detainee passes, she usually shouts at them rude words and curses them, especially about their religion and nationality.
According to the Prison Service Order there, it is prohibited to hold political prisoners and criminal prisoners or detainees in the same wing.
Further deterioration in the prisoners' conditions: The prison authorities plan to replace the wing's director and want to appoint as a new director a guard against whom the women political prisoners had submitted many complaints in the past concerning her treatments. Because of the complaints, the prison authorities transferred her to another wing, although they now appoint her to be the wing's director.
On 12 April 2012, the women political prisoners began protest steps: They returned three meals, demanding to be in a separate wing from the criminal detainees, and against the appointment of the new wing's director.
Description of wing two:
There are two cells for prisoners and one room that is used as a classroom.
The wing was very dirty and when the women political prisoners were transferred to this wing, they worked hard to clean the entire wing. Even after the cleaning, there are a lot of roaches and mice.
The prisoners are greatly disturbed by the cameras that are in the yard and in the corridors. In their previous wing, there were no cameras. Because of the cameras some of the women political prisoners do not go out to the yard during the hour's recreation time, which is their right according to the regulations, because they are religious, and men watch these cameras.
Books, crafts, games
Since about three years, the prison authorities continue to prevent the political prisoners from receiving books, materials for crafts, and games.
So most of the day they can only wach TV, and the available channels are limited by the prison authorities.
New prisoner
Inas S'aid,
27 years old, mother of three, from Hebron, was arrested on 14 March 2012.
Released prisoners
Hanaa Shalabi,
30 years old, from Burkin, Jenin district, an administrative detainee, was arrested on 16 February 2012. After she went on a hunger strike for 43 days, she was released on 1 April 2012 on condition: The Israeli authorities conditioned the release on deportation to Gaza for three years. Now she's hospitalized in "Al-Quds" hospital in Gaza.
Saja elAlmi ,
18 years old, from Bitunya, Ramallah district, was arrested on 9 January 2012 and released on 1 April 2012 on bail of 10000 NIS that was deposited, and 15000 NIS, for which two people have signed.
Ashkelon Detention Center
New prisoner
'Ola Haniyah,
22 years old, from elBireh, Ramallah district, graduated on Communication and Political Science from Bethlehem University. She was arrested from her house on 26 March 2012.
Since her arrest she has endured interrogations in Ashkelon Detention Center.
Released prisoner
Amany Handakaji,
27 years old, from Nablus, was arrested for 10 days, on 20 March 2012.
Women who were interrogated by the GSS (Shabak)
During the last month, at least three women political activists were invited for interrogations by the GSS.
Sahar Abdu,
from Haifa, activist for Palestine and for the Palestinian political prisoners, has been invited for interrogation by the GSS.
The thick file of the interrogator relied on things that she wrote in Facebook.
At the end of the interrogation, the interrogator told her that the only reason that he released her is that he did not want to arrest her for one year only, which would not be enough for him to be satisfied. He added that Amir Makhoul (a political prisoner) is waiting for her and that as Amir Makhoul had confessed and now is a prisoner, she will also be a prisoner like him (he was sentenced to 9 years imprisonment).
Interview with Sahahr Abdu
Lihi Rothschild,
from Tel Aviv, leftist activist, was taken to interrogation by the GSS at the airport on her return from a visit abroad and was interrogated on various political activities.
N., leftist activist, invited to interrogation by GSS. She was also questioned about political activities.
Interviews with Lihi and N. about the interrogations
For donations to WOFPP
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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