RAMALLAH, April 3, 2011 (WAFA) – Othman Ibrahim Yunis , a 34 year old Palestinian prisoner  from Snerya town, in qalqilya  Sunday was subjected to torture, solitary confinement and a rape attempt at the hands of Israeli jailers in Israeli Gilboa prison for possessing a ‘pen lid’.

Yunis, detained since 26-8-2003 and serving four consecutive life sentences testified to ministry of detainees’ affairs’ lawyer of being beaten and tortured in Israeli Gilboa prison on 03/07/2001.

Yunis was punished in solitary confinement for a week, paid NIS 500 fine (around $ 133) and was prevented from family visits for two months, from entering the prison’s canteen, receiving letters and from education for a year, all of these punishments for possessing a pen lid, he found in the visiting room.

He said: “the prison’s administration put several round the clock surveillance cameras on my cell which prevented me from entering the bathroom and from bathing, and when I asked them to remove the cameras they refused”.

Yunis explained that he was subjected to torture by six jailors during his detention in the solitary confinement, where they beat him after tying him to his bed and stripping off his clothes.

He added that two Israeli jailors tried to rape him and harassed him sexually while he was tied to the bed.

Yunis described what he went through to the lawyer, saying: “I was in hell; I saw ruthless devils and a gang that only wants to destroy the Palestinian prisoner”.

Yunis stressed on the importance of passing on his testimony to all human rights, humanitarian and those concerned with prisoners’ issues' organizations to expose the Israeli prison’s administration’s practices against prisoners.

Yunis’s story reflects the situation of dozens of isolated prisoners who have been languishing in solitary confinement cells for 9 years and suffering from severe difficult situations.

According to Ministry of Detainees’ Affairs’ statistics, 29 Palestinian prisoners are in solitary confinement.

T.R./F.R.