RAMALLAH, Monday, February 12, 2024 (WAFA) – More than 9,000 Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons have been subjected to unprecedented retaliatory and punitive measures since October 7th of last year, according to a joint statement issued today by the Detainees Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS).
The two organizations pointed out that over the past period, the pace of measures imposed on the Palestinian detainees, mainly involving systematic torture and abuse, has remained consistent, adding that these actions aim at dehumanizing them and depriving the prisoners of their basic rights.
The statement emphasized that the element of time plays a crucial role in the fate of the detainees, as the retaliatory and punitive measures against them continue unabated. Additionally, certain policies have escalated, intensifying their suffering on various levels.
The Israeli Prison Service has further stripped the detainees of basic tools and means of communication with the outside world, such as television and family visits, according to the statement. Moreover, radios were confiscated in many prisons, leaving lawyer visits as the only means of communication for the detainees.
In the Damoun prison, where the majority of female detainees are held, the prison administration recently transferred them to another section within the same prison. This new section serves as a compounded model of the isolation policy compared to the previous one.
Female detainees are now completely isolated from each other, with windows covered with soundproof and vision-blocking plastic, reinforced with tiny openings that obstruct visibility, the two organizations said.
The Detainees Affairs Authority and PPS revealed that the administration of the Israeli Jalboua prison has implemented a new measure by placing a blue line in front of Palestinian detainees' cells, prohibiting them from approaching or crossing it. Those who breach this line face harassment and physical assault.
Through this measure, according to the statement, the prison administration aims to further isolate the detainees and deprive them of sound communication between cells or during their recreational time, preventing them from interacting with each other.
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