Women's Organization for Political Prisoners October News

There are at present about 75 women political prisoners in the Israeli jails: about 35 in Hasharon Prison (Tel Mond), about 35 in Damoon Prison (Carmel Mountain), 1 in Petah Tiqva Detention Center, 3 in Kishon Detention Center (Jalameh) and the rest in several detention centers.
Damoon Prison (Carmel Mountain)

The conditions in the cells
The prisoners continue suffering from harsh conditions. The cells are infested with vermin. In August, ladders were installed on the bunk beds (to go up to, and down from, the upper bed).

Books
The prison authorities allow each prisoner to have only 2 books (In Hasharon Prison 3 books were allowed). The families give the books to the prison staff, and the prisoners have to hand over the old books to the warden before getting the new ones. The women prisoners requested to have a library.

Women and girls under administrative detention
Salwa Salah and Sara Siureh, both under 17 years old, from Bethlehem district, are administrative detainees who were arrested on 5 June 2008. On 3 October 2008 the Israeli authorities extended their administrative detention to three additional months.
Activities to release Salwa and Sara:
Addameer Association (Addameer, Arabic for conscience, prisoners support and human rights) press release 10/2008
The Coalition of Women for Peace, a women's organization, distributes postcards that call to release them and all the political prisoners. This coalition is also organizing a demonstration to take place in front of Damoon Prison on 15 October. Arabic version Hebrew version
Reut-Sadaka, a youth organization, distributes a petition that calls to release them.
Samira (Haniya) 'Abed Yusf Abu Shamalah, an administrative detainee, 46 years old, from Y'abed, Jenin district, was arrested on 3 March 2008. In August 2008 the Israeli authorities extended her administrative detention to six additional months. All her family members are prohibited from visiting her.

Family visits
Linan Abu Ghalameh, 25 years old, from Bet Furiq, Nablus district, was arrested on 9 September 2004. The prison authorities still refuse her request to meet her brother who is also a political prisoner. She was told that the Shabak (the Israeli intelligence) objected to the meeting; the reasons are secret.
Amal Jum'ah, 35 years old, from Nablus, was arrested on 9 May 2004. The prison authorities granted her sister permission to visit her but under the condition that she bring a proof that she is her sister. Until now she has not been able to visit Amal.

Sentence
Rudjina Janajarah, from Nablus district was arrested on 10 June 2008 and sentenced, on 11 August 2008, to three years' imprisonment.

Releases
Hala Jaber, from Jenin Refugee Camp, was arrested on 16 September 2004 and released on 7 September 2008.
Taghreed Hajayja, 21 years old, from Ramallah, was arrested on 7 December 2006 and released on 3 September 2008.
Aiat elDababsa, 16 years old, from Hebron, was arrested on 21 January 2007 and released on 25 August 2008 with a group of Palestinian prisoners who were released due to the Israeli government decision.
Najua Hashash, 21 years old, from Balata Refugee Camp, Nablus district, was arrested on 17 April 2007 and released on 18 September 2008.

Hasharon Prison (Tel Mond)

The conditions in the cells The windows in the cells still remain covered with metal sheets and therefore cannot be opened. There is lack of air, there is no daylight, unbearable heat in summer and dampness in winter.
"The Israel Bar Association" examined the conditions in prisons and reported: "In the women's wing in Hasharon Prison there" are serious defects in ventilation and in basic life conditions. For example, no fresh air can enter into the cell where a baby sleeps. Even though there are ventilators in the cells, because of lack of fresh air there is no air circulation, which creates a feeling of choking…" They also reported that the building is old and needs immediate repairs and that the wings of the women and the minors are not suitable to their function.

Letters
Recently, the prison authorities have not delivered a great part of their letters to the women prisoners. There are prisoners who do not get the letters from their families, and the women do not get any letters from abroad.

Khulud elMasri, an administrative detainee from Nablus, member of the Municipality Council, was arrested on 15 July 2008. In September 2008 the Israeli authorities exended her administrative detention to two additional montns

Zuhur Hamdan, 42 years old from Nablus, arrested on 13 May 2003, was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. She has many health problems. The parole board refused to grant her early release after she had served more then two thirds of her term.

Falestin Najam, 20 years old, from Nablus, was arrested on 15 February 2006. The parole board refused her request for early release after she had served two thirds of her term.

'Abeer 'Odeh, an administrative detainee from Tulkarem, was arrested on 22 April 2006 and Mariam elTarabin, from Jericho was arrested on 23 January 2005. In September 2008 both women were transferred from Neve Tirza Prison (Ramle) to Hasharon Prison (Tel Mond).

Ahlam elTamimi, 24 years old, from Ramallah, was arrested on 14 September 2001. After months of preventing her sister from visiting her, the prison authorities finally allowed Ahlam's sister to visit.

Sentences
Heeba elNatshe, 18 years old, from Hebron, was arrested on 5 November 2007. On 1 September 2008 she was sentenced to 40 months' imprisonment and a fine of 2000 NIS (700$).
Hiam elBayad, 20 years old, from elJalazun Refugee Camp, Ramallah district, was arrested on 6 January 2007 and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. In August, following the state of Israel's appeal, the court increased her prison term to 40 months.

New prisoner
Sanaa Salah, 26 years old, was arrested on 6 August 2008. After she was held three weeks in the Russian compound (Mosqobiyeh) in Jerusalem and two weeks in Neve Tirza Prison (Ramle), she was transferred to Hasharon Prison.

Releases
Maysun Amtur, 26 years old, from elRam, Jerusalem district, was arrested on 7 October 200
and released on 14 August 2008. Nura elHashlamon, former administrative detainee, from Hebron, a mother of six, was arrested on 17 September 2006 and released on 31 August 2008
Khaula Zitawi, from Jam'ain, Nablus district. Her daughter Ghada, two years old, stayed with her in prison. She was arrested on 25 January 2007 and released on 25 August 2008 with a group of Palestinian prisoners who were released due to the Israeli government decision.
Nahil Zaqarna, former administrative detainee from Jenin, was arrested on 12 May 2008 and released in September 2008. Manal Mughrabi was released after two weeks in prison.

Petah Tiqva Detention Center

New prisoner
Sanabeel Nabagh Breek, 19 years old from Nablus, a law student in elNajah University, was arrested on 22 September 2008 at Hawara checkpoint, an Israeli checkpoint near Nablus.

Kishon Detention Center (Jalame)

New Prisoners
Rima Rajab Tabal, 23 years old, from Tulkarem, a teacher.
Suzan elHaj Saleh, 17.5 years old, a secondary school student, was arrested on 30 September 2008.

Military prison

In August and September 2008, four women refused to enlist in the Israeli army:
Omer Goldman, 19, from Ramat HaSharon, has been sentenced to 21 days in military prison on 22 Sept. Further terms of imprisonment might follow after this one ends
Mia Tamarin, 19, from Tel-Aviv, a recent graduate of the United World College in New Mexico, has been sentenced to 14 days in military prison on 28 Sept.
Tamar Katz, 19, from Ramat HaSharon, has been sentenced to 14 days in military prison on 28 Sept. Further terms of imprisonment might follow after this one ends.
Sahar Vardi, 18, from Jerusalem, had been sentenced to 7 days in military prison on 25 August 2008. Further terms of imprisonment might follow.

To find out more on Women's Organization for Political Prisoners please visit their site at http://www.wofpp.org/english/home.html