Annual Report - Palestinian Center for Human Rights

In 2005, the unit followed cases of 277 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. In 2005,
the unit noted the following patterns:
• The number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails has continued to increase.
• Israeli occupation authorities have continued to prevent lawyers from visiting
clients in Israeli jails; in 2005, the unit submitted 14 petitions to the Israeli High
Court in respect of these restrictions.
• Israeli military courts continued to issue sentences against Palestinian prisoners,
which are disproportionate to the charges.
• Health and detention conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have
remained poor.
• Israeli occupying forces have continued to deprive prisoners of their right to family
visitations.
• A Palestinian prisoner, 18-year-old Jawad 'Aadel Abu Mughassib, from Deir al-
Balah, died in mysterious circumstances in Ansar detention facility inside Israel on
28 July 2005.
• Use of administrative detention orders has continued; the unit pursued 22 cases of
administrative detention in 2005, including 19 cases from 2004.
Means of Verification
o The unit provided legal aid to 277 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in 2005.
o 47 prisoners, whose cases were pursued by the unit, including 20 administrative
detainees, were released.
o Payment of bail for a number of prisoners through a delegated PCHR lawyer, in
cases where their families were unable to do so.
o The unit pursued the cases of 6 ill prisoners and PCHR lawyers visited them in
detention facilities.
o PCHR lawyers visited a number of Israeli jails, including Oufar, the Negev and
Ashkelon.
o The unit followed up the health and detention conditions of Palestinian prisoners in
Israeli jails, including the fire resulting from an electricity failure in the Negev
prison on 24 July 2005, which destroyed the personal belongings of at least 240
prisoners.
o The unit succeeded in getting copies of indictment bills and court rulings issued
against a number of ex-prisoners.
o The unit submitted 3 complaints to the Israeli military prosecutor concerning the
use of torture against 3 Palestinian prisoners during interrogation in Ashkelon
prison.
o The unit submitted an appeal concerning testimonies taken from prisoners in
Hebrew and submitted to courts.
o The unit submitted a complaint to the Israeli military legal advisor concerning the
prevention of a lawyer from visiting Ahmed Zayed al-Shurafa, detained by IOF.
o The unit submitted a complaint to both the Israeli military legal advisor and the
Public Committee against Torture in Israel concerning the use of torture against
'Ali Dawas during interrogation at Ashkelon prison.
o The unit was able to retrieve 3 fishing boats belonging to released prisoners:
Ramadan Salah; Ahmed Joma'a al-Qar'ani; and Hussam Mohammed al-Habbash.
o The unit continued to pursue the case of Riad and Hassan 'Ayad, who are
considered by IOF to be “illegitimate combatants”.
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