There are, at present, about 95 women political prisoners in the Israeli jails: In Hasharon Prison (Tel Mond) about 90, the rest in Neve Tirza Prison (Ramle) and in several detention centers.
Hasharon Prison (Tel Mond)
The conditions in the cells
"Adalah - the Legal Center for the Arab Minority" with WOFPP sent a letter to the prison authorities demanding to remove the permanent window coverings. The prison authorities answered that the claims about lack of air and day light are not true and that the permanent window coverings were installed because of "security considerations". This is a vague answer that always can be used as a pretext.
The cells are infested with large numbers of insects that come from the damp walls and the damp ceiling. These insects exist everywhere, even in the prisoners' clothes.
Prisoners suffer from lack of blankets and winter clothes.
Laila Buchari, from Nablus, 26 years old, was arrested on 23 May 2002. The parole board refused to release her after she had served two thirds of her prison term.
Visiting imprisoned family members
Ahlam elTamimi, 24 years old, from Ramallah, was arrested on 14 September 2001. The court refused her appeal asking to meet her imprisoned husband.
During the time that Ahlam was taken from prison to court and back, her legs were tightly shackled which injured her skin.
Ahlam Kamiz, from Tulkarem Refugee Camp, 20 years old, was arrested on 22 November 2006. Two of her brothers are political prisoners in Israeli jails, one of them is a minor who was sentenced to 16.5 years imprisonment. Ahlam's request to meet her brothers was refused.
She will be released in January 2008. The prison authorities will then forbid her to visit her brothers because released prisoners are not authorized to visit imprisoned family members.
Linan Abu Ghalameh, 25 years old, from Bet Furiq, Nablus district, was arrested on 9 September 2004. The prison authorities refuse her request to meet her imprisoned brother, a politial prisoner in an Israeli jail.
New prisoners
Qautar Diab, from Qalqilya.
Haba elNatasha, from Hebron, a minor.
Releases
Nehad elShafi, from Tubas, 32 years old, an administrative detainee, was arrested on 11 November 2006 and released on 20 October 2007.
Tahrir Yasin, from Nablus, 20 years old, was arrested on 6 April 2006 and released in November 2007.
Iman elAhras, from Dehaishe Refugee Camp, Bethlehem district, was arrested in April 2004 and released in November 2007.
Fardus Zayad, from Qalqilya, was released after about two weeks.
Mosqobiyeh Detention Center (Russian Compound), Jerusalem
On 12 November 2007, Israeli security forces arrested Dr. Maryam Salah from elBira, member of the Palestinian parliament. On 14 November 2007, WOFPP's lawyer, Taghreed Jahshan went to Mosqobiyeh Detention Center to visit her.
The authorities of the detention center told Taghreed that she had to wait. She waited for about three hours during which time she had to stand on the stairs (there was no other place to stay). They then showed Taghreed an order that Dr. Maryam Salah was forbidden to meet a lawyer until 19 November 2007. The order was issued by the head of the interrogators team and was not signed with his real name but: "The head of the interrogators' team, called Oskar". We are concerned about the conditions under which Dr. Maryam Salah is being held.
Ramle Prison
Amneh Muna, 30 years old, from Jerusalem, has been held in separation for more than 14 months. On 22 November 2007, Amneh stopped the hunger strike that she had begun on 28 October demanding to have her conditions improved.
You can read the urgent appeal that we sent
People and organizations from all over the world sent urgent letters to the prison authorities and to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
At present, the prison authorities have not transferred Amneh back to the terrible cell in Neve Tirza Prison (Ramle); she is being held in another Ramle prison where conditions are slightly better.
On 27 November 2007 representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross, including an ICRC physician, visited Amneh Muna.
On that same day, WOFPP's lawyer, Taghreed Jahshan, also visited Amneh.
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