Saturday, July 27

Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs – July 23, 2024

On Sunday, a lawyer from the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs visited Damon Prison, meeting with two detainees: Anwar Rustum (33 years old) from Kufr Malik, east of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, who remains in detention, and Hana Saleh (36 years old) from Deir Abu Mishaal, northwest of Ramallah, held under administrative detention. The lawyer discussed their situation individually and was briefed on the prison conditions and the circumstances of the female prisoners.

The Commission shared the following facts about the female prisoners in Damon Prison:

• The prison currently houses 78 female prisoners, including three from Gaza (Siham Abu Salem, her daughter Suzan Abu Salem, and Asmaa Shatat).
• One-third of the detainees are held under administrative detention.
• There are several severe medical cases requiring treatment and care in civilian hospitals. Two specific cases were highlighted during the visit:
  • Zainab Sajadiya, who suffers from cancer.
  • Rana Aida, whose physical and mental health remain in critical condition due to the effects of her detention.
• Two detainees, Nawal Fathiya and Dana Khoury, are currently held in solitary confinement.

Living Conditions in the Prison:

• The rooms are severely overcrowded. There are two types of rooms:
  • Large rooms, with at least 10 prisoners.
  • Small rooms, with at least 5 prisoners.
• Despite the overcrowding, the room sizes are small and inadequate for the number of detainees.
• Temperatures inside the rooms are high, with no proper ventilation, making living conditions unbearable.
• Prisoners are allowed only one hour per day for outdoor time (fura) and showers, with two rooms released together during this period.
• Food quality and quantity remain poor.
• There is a severe shortage of clothing, personal items, and women's hygiene products.

Call for Action:

The Commission renews its appeal to local and international women’s organizations and unions to rise in solidarity to protect Palestinian female prisoners and to stop the abusive and arbitrary practices of the Israeli prison authorities against them.