Report: “7300 Detainees, Including 33 Women And 300 Children, Still Imprisoned By Israel”

Sunday January 31, 2010 09:16

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Former prisoner, researcher and the head of the census department at the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees, Abdul-Nasser Farawna, stated in a comprehensive report that there are currently 7300 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

In his report, Farawna states that there Israel is currently holding captive 33 women, nearly 300 children, 296 administrative detainees, 17 legislators and two former ministers in addition to dozens of political leaders.

The report also states that nearly 5105 detainees (70% of the total number), were sentenced by Israeli military courts, and that 800 detainees were sentenced to at least one life-term.

1893 detainees are still held awaiting trial, and six detainees are held under what Israel calls “illegitimate combatants”.

2775 (38%) of the detained Palestinians are married, and 6155 (84%) of total number of the detainees are from the occupied West Bank, and 748 (10.2%) are from the Gaza Strip, in addition to 400 (5.5%) are from Jerusalem and Arab areas in Israel.

Israel is holding captive 300 children (4.1% of the total) who are subject to ongoing violations, torture and deprived of their basic rights guaranteed under international law.

During the Al Aqsa Intifada, the Israeli army detained nearly 850 women, 33 of them including one woman from Gaza, four from Jerusalem and 3 Arab residents of Israel. The rest are from the West Bank. Five female detainees were sentenced to at least one life-term.

Farawna stated in his report, that there 316 persons were detained by the Israeli army before the Oslo Agreement of 1991. One of them was imprisoned 32 years ago, while the rest have been held for at least 16 years.

111 detainees have been imprisoned for more than twenty years, 13 of which were imprisoned more than 25 years ago. 3 men, Nael Fakhoury, Fakhry Al Barghouthi and Akram Mansour, were imprisoned over 30 years ago.

Furthermore, 197 detainees died in Israeli prisons. The latest casualty is Maher Al Dweik, 25, from the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

He was shot and wounded by the army on August 26 2008, and died in prison on September 13 2009 having been deprived medical treatment.

49 detainees died due to medical negligence, 71 due to torture, 71 were shot and killed after being arrested by the army, and seven died due to excessive use of force against them.