In an interview with
advocate Buthaina Duqmaq, Abdul-Salam Shukry and Mohmoud Haskour, two
Palestinian prisoners, affirmed inmates at Nafha Prison have high spirits and
vow to continue the hunger strike until their humanitarian and just demands are
realized. They asserted any deal between the prisoners and the Israeli prison
authorities must be concluded only with prisoners' leadership. Israeli military
authorities have scattered prison leaders among several isolation sections to
create a wedge among inmates.
Advocate Duqmaq learned that
several infirm cases were reported at Nafha Prison. The administration had
forced two infirm prisoners into signing an undertaking which states: "We are
solely responsible for our safety and wellbeing should we continue the hunger
strike". The infirm prisoners are Issa Shabaneh who suffers cardiac problems and
Issa Jabarin who was diagnosed with renal problems. Ms. Duqmaq indicated Fahmy
Mashahra and Abdul-Halim Abdullah were among 4 infirm cases that were
transferred to hospital. Both had stomach disorders and were vomiting blood. In
protest, inmates decided to boycott the prison clinic since 26 August 2004. The
administration tried to distribute vitamins on 30 August 2004 but the prisoners
refused taking them.
Additionally, inmates
complained about ill treatment and physical violence perpetrated against them by
Israeli soldiers especially during transfer to and from military courts. They
also complained about the humiliating strip search and their locking up in
temporary detention stations up to four days under harsh circumstances.
Prisoners protested the provocative arbitrary daily search of their cells
despite the fact that prison authorities had confiscated all personal effects on
the first day of the hunger strike.
The Nafha Prison administration
conducted a series of transfers between prisons whereby it transferred 50
inmates to Ashqelon and brought 50 inmates from Ashqelon and Ha Liqdar to Nafha.
The administration also designated a special room for common criminal inmates
who were brought in from other sections or prisons to torment striking prisoners
