West Bank Palestinians’ right to travel – HRC 22nd session – NGO statement (Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture)

Written statement^* submitted by the Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status

The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31.

[7 February 2013]

^*This written statement is issued, unedited, in the language(s) received from the submitting on governmental organization(s).

Palestinian detainees continue suffering

Total number of prisoners and detainees held by the Israeli occupation authorities in prisons and detention camps have increased with the end of January this year to reach (4750) Palestinian prisoners and detainees from all classes and segments of Palestinian society.

The vast majority of them and make up (82.5%) were residents of the West Bank, and (9.6%) of the population of the Gaza Strip, and the rest of Jerusalem and the 48, and these distributors to about 17 prisons and detainees and detention center notably Negev, Ofer, Nafha, Gilboa, Chatta, Raymond, Ashkelon, Hadarim and Eichel and my family Kedar, Hasharon, Ramle and Megiddo.

Among the total prisoners there (186) administrative detainees without charge or trial, and (12) captive the oldest Lina Jerboni from territories occupied in 1948 and detained since (11) years, and (198) children under the age of eighteen, and (25) of them children under the age of 16 years, in addition to (12) deputies and three former ministers and dozens of teachers and political leaders, academic and professional.

KRC expresses concern about the growing numbers of sick prisoners rose to nearly (1400) prisoner suffering from various illnesses back reasons for detention conditions difficult and ill-treatment, malnutrition and all these people are not receiving the necessary care, and the most serious that included dozens of prisoners who suffer from motor disabilities and mental The sensory and serious diseases and malignant and chronic diseases such as heart and cancer and kidney failure and paraplegia.

And (18) captive residing permanently in the so-called “hospital Ramla” Some of them incapable of movement, in light of continuing to ignore their suffering by the prison administration and lack of health care and the necessary treatment for them.

And to the presence of (532) prisoners from among the prisoners released their right to life sentences for once or several times.

The center announce that the number of “prisoners veterans” a term given to prisoners detained since before Oslo and the Palestinian National Authority on the fourth of May /May 1994, has declined with the end of last January to (107) prisoners after release captive Jihad Abedi of Jerusalem after spend his sentence of 25 years, and AhmedArdah from Arraba Jenin after serving his sentence also amounting to twenty years.

Among the “old” (71) captive had been held for more than twenty years and these are called the term "deans of prisoners," while the “generals patience,” a term expressed by Palestinians of been held for more than a quarter of a century has reached the number of (24) Palestinian prisoners, and is considered the prisoner Karim Younes from the village of Arara in the territories occupied in 1948 and detained for more than thirty years is the dean of prisoners in general.

KRC calls upon the Human Rights Council and all international organizations and bodies of the official Palestinian institutions of civil society and popular activities and the media to take action to save the lives of prisoners on hunger strike in particular, and activate the issue of prisoners in general and rehabilitate them at all levels and levels, and work for the expansion of solidarity with them and to increase participating size and invent more effective methods, on the grounds that their support and their support and defend them and support their rights to live in dignity on the road to liberation is a national duty, humanitarian and solidarity with them to liberate them.

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