HEBRON, February 7, 2011 (WAFA) – Minister of Prisoner Affairs Issa Qaraqi said on Monday that Israel has escalated its repression of female prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Qaraqi said that after visiting the youngest female prisoner, 15-year-old Hadeel Abu Torki, in her house in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

Abu Torki was arrested on charges of attempting to stab a soldier in Hebron and was released after six months to be transferred to the center of social welfare due to her young age.

Abu Torki told Qaraqi that health of prisoners in Israeli jails has deteriorated as a result of medical negligence citing cases such as Reema Darghmeh, who is suffering from stomach disease, and Aysha Ghnemat from Hebron suffering from kidney stone.

She also talked about the suffering of the administrative detainees caused by the renewal of their detention period citing the case of Hana Shalabi from Jenin, the oldest administrative detainee held since September 2009, whose six months detention has been extended for the third time in a row.

“The prison administration puts off bringing medicine and conducting medical exams to prisoners, prevents prisoners from seeing outside doctors and allowing books, magazines and crafts into the prison, and night checking measures that cause instability and psychological pressure on prisoners,” said Abu Torki during Qaraqi’s visit.

T.R./M.A.