From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 30 Sep 92 15:29 PDT
Subject: ALERT: Pal. Hunger Strike
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700565:000:6939
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Sep 30 15:29:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: ALERT: Pal. Hunger Strike

/* Written 12:46 pm  Sep 30, 1992 by nonviolence in cdp:mideast.levant */
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 29, 1992

Palestinian Prisoners Begin Open Hunger Strike To Protest Deteri-
orating Conditions and Treatment

Palestinian  prisoners  from major Israeli  detention  facilities 
began  an open hunger strike on September 27 to  protest  against 
deteriorating conditions of detention imposed on them by  Israeli 
authorities.  The strike was formally announced by prisoners in a 
letter  to UN Secretary-General Butros Butros-Ghali on  September 
25.  According to the letter, prisoners say they have  "exhausted 
all  other means of negotiating [for better  conditions]  without 
success"   and have used a hunger strike as a means of  last  re-
sort;  they  are specifically demanding a halt to the  policy  of 
long  periods  of solitary confinement, the  closure  of  special 
underground punishment sections where dungeon conditions prevail, 
a reinstatement of adequate food rations, a halt to overcrowding, 
access  to proper medical treatment, and an end to  beatings  and 
tear-gassings in the cells and demeaning strip searches.

Since the strike began, prisoners have had no communication  with 
the  outside world.  The Israeli Jewish holidays  have  prevented 
scheduled  visits  by lawyers and families, which  could  confirm 
which  prisons are observing the strike, the number of  prisoners 
involved  and the response of the authorities.  The first  oppor-
tunity for visits will be Wednesday, September 30.

Over  the  past  year, prisoners have reported  to  human  rights 
organizations about a deterioration of already inhuman conditions 
prevailing in Israeli prisons:  food rations have been reduced in 
the  past  year,  specifically,  meat,  vegetables  and   fruits, 
attempts  by prisoners to negotiate with prison  authorities  for 
better  conditions have been treated harshly and prisoner  repre-
sentatives  beaten or transferred to other  prisons;   conditions 
have  become  more repressive, on the pretext of  security,  even 
during  family visits.  Visits (30 minutes, every two weeks,  no-
contact and supervised) are often denied by prison administrators 
to punish or pressure detainees.  Since 1989, the Prison Services 
have used a policy of isolating prisoners in small,  unventilated 
cells  far  below standard minimum conditions in Ward 8  of  Roni 
Nitzan detention center in the town of Ramie and in Bar Saba'pri-
son.  In both prisons, some prisoners are handcuffed and shackled 
at all times when they are outside their cells.

Similar demands have been made in repeated strikes in  individual 
prisons  during  the intifada, and especially after  the  current 
Commissioner of Prisons, Gabi Amir, took office in 1991.  This is 
the  first reported all-prison hunger strike by  Palestinians  in 
Israeli prisons since March 1987, and indicates a serious deteri-
oration  in  conditions.   Three Palestinians  have  died  during 
hunger  strikes  since the occupation began;  one  prisoner  died 
from lack of nutrition in Askelon prison in 1970 and two  prison-
ers died after being force-fed by medics in Nafha prison in 1980.

An  estimated  12,500 Palestinians are currently  being  held  in 
Israeli detention centers and prisons;  as many as 500-1,000 more 
may  be held under short detention orders and not  registered  in 
detention  centers or police lock-ups.  According to  an  Israeli 
military spokesman (May 1992), roughly two-thirds of the  prison-
ers are incarcerated in military detention camps operated by  the 
Israeli  army  and military police, where they can  be  held  for 
several  years in tents or other temporary structures.   The  re-
maining  one-third are held in prisons operated by  the  civilian 
Israeli  Prison Services (under the authority of the Ministry  of 
Police), where they are locked in small cells for 21 to 24  hours 
per  day.  Cells are typically filthy, overcrowded and lack  ade-
quate ventilation.  Jewish and Arab criminal prisoners in Israeli 
detention facilities are accorded better conditions and treatment 
than Palestinian political prisoners.

Other  demands  include  the release of very  young  and  elderly 
prisoners, mothers with young children, ill and long-term prison-
ers, (particularly seven Palestinian prisoners who have been held 
for  more  than 20 years under extremely  poor  conditions).   At 
least 10 prisoners from Lebanon completed their sentences several 
years ago but have not been released by Israeli authorities.

Palestinian women, the mothers and wives of detainees, have  been 
holding  sit-ins in front of Red Cross offices in  Gaza,  Hebron, 
Bethlehem,  Jerusalem  and Nablus since yesterday  in  solidarity 
with  the  striking prisoners.  Women's  committees  and  student 
groups have also organized solidarity activities in various  West 
Bank and Gaza cities to support the prisoners' strike.

Israel's detention policy consistently violates international law 
and standards regarding the treatment of prisoners as set out  in 
the  United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the  Treatment  of 
Prisoners  (1957)  and the IV Geneva Convention Relative  to  the 
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (1949).  Violations 
include  prisoners' transfer inside Israel, the lack of  adequate 
food  and  medical  care,  overcrowding,  physical  mistreatment, 
isolation and intimidation, and denial of religious practice.

We, as human rights organizations, are deeply concerned about the 
Israeli authorities' indifference to the legal rights of Palesti-
nian  detainees which continue to be regarded as privileges,  not 
rights,  by these authorities.  Urgent action is  required  imme-
diately due to the vulnerability of the prisoners, especially  in 
their  current isolated position, and due to our fears, based  on 
past  incidents, that Israeli authorities will use illegal  force 
on prisoners engaged in hunger strikes.

Therefore, we call for:
* The immediate implementation of all the prisoners' demands by 
  the responsible Israeli authorities,
* The recognition of the applicability of the Fourth Geneva 
  Convention  and  the  UN Standard Minimum Rules for  the  Treatment  
  of Prisoners to Palestinian detainees,
* The  international  community  to take action on  behalf  of  the 
  detainees  by exerting pressure on Israeli authorities  to  
  immediately  improve the situation inside Israeli  detention  
  facilities.

Palestine Human Rights Information Center - Jerusalem tel# 972-2-287077
Mandela Institute for Political Prisoners   tel# 972-2-955756
Al-Haq/Palestinian Organization for Human Rights tel# 972-2-956421
Gaza Center for Rights and Law  tel# 972-7-866287
Freedom Defence Committee
Addameer - Prisoners' Support Association  tel# 972-2-827616




prisoners to negotiat