Prisoners at Rimon Israeli Prison Attacked Viciously

RAMALLAH, November 22, 2011 (WAFA) – Palestinian prisoners, detained at Rimon Israeli prison, were viciously attacked by the prison’s administration under the pretext of “looking for hidden cellular phones,” Tuesday said a report by the ministry of detainees and ex-detainees.

The report said that prisoners in section three and four-- each section includes 120 prisoners-- were surprised when a large force raided their prison cells, beating them, tampering and destroying their rooms’ contents and private belongings.

The administration punished the prisoners by isolating them in solitary confinement, in addition to imposing other punishments, such as reducing the daily break from two hours to only one and threatening to cancel family visitations.

In a related matter, a report by the Palestinian prisoner’s club (PPC) said the Israeli prison’s administration in Asqalan prison imposed several punishments against a number of prisoners, especially in section 18, after the latter refused to end their prayers for the daily counting.

It added that an inspection force entered section 18 while the prisoners were praying and demanded them to immediately stop the prayers, but prisoners refused, which angered the administration, considering them breaking the rules, and immediately announced a state of alert throughout the prison.

It added that the administration decided to impose several sanctions against prisoners, including depriving them from family visits for a month and from entering the canteen as well as imposing a $40 fine on each prisoner for exercising their religious rites.

Prisoners’ representative at the prison, detainee Naser Naji said that prisoners carried out several measures in protest of these Israeli attacks and punishments.

He stressed that prisoners will not obey the prison’s administration’s instructions and serious violations.

Issa Qaraqi, minister of prisoners’ affairs, condemned these ongoing attacks against prisoners and said, “This proves that Israel continues making prisoners a target to achieve their political gains.”

He called upon all human rights organizations and international community to promptly intervene to put an end to this unethical disregard of prisoners.
Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA