RAMALLAH, February 2, 2011 (WAFA) – Palestinian detainees at Ofer Israeli military prison Wednesday condemned humiliating searches of their families at Beitunia checkpoint near Ramallah in the
The detainees said in a statement to the Ministry of Detainees and Ex-detainees that their families, especially women, are facing insulting searches at Beitunia checkpoint on their way to visit their relatives in the prison.
In a meeting with the prison director, detainees threatened to stop the visits if these searches continued.
Representative of the prisoners Shady Shalaldeh said the families expressed anger and resentment and said the humiliating process is part of the collective punishment and psychological abuse against detainees and their families, in application of the so-called “Shalit law.”
The Shalit law aims at aggravating the conditions of prisoners jailed in Israel in a bid to pressure Hamas to advance the talks on the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
Shalaldeh appealed to the International Red Cross to monitor searches at Beitunia checkpoint during family visits.
Ofer detainees also condemned in their statement the Israeli attempt to expel Islam Ayyoub, 14, from his Nabi Saleh village to Ramallah, 20 kilometers away, and said the order opens doors for Israeli deportation and exclusion policies.
Ofer military court extended the detention of Islam Ayyoub by 100 days on Tuesday after Ayyoub’s father refused the expulsion of his son.
The detainees demanded that
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