Jalama detainees go on hunger strike amid 'appalling' conditions

[ 10/05/2011 - 10:01 AM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Palestinian POWs isolated at the Israeli Jalama detention center rejected meals Sunday night as they went on hunger strike to protest horrrible conditions.

Prisoners have taken constant steps to protest as many have been held for several months after interrogation had ended without being transported to the central prisons, a prisoner released from Jalama Monday said.

The man described Jalama prison conditions as appalling. The Israeli prison administration does not classify it as a central prison, but an interrogation and detention center, where food is bad and the representation of prisoners is not recognized.

Separately, the Israeli prison administration has taken several measures against those who kicked off a wide-ranging hunger strike on Saturday that included about a third of all Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Visits were subsequently denied for two months in most of the prisons and one month in the Eishel prison, and recreation was reduced to one hour from three hours. Prisoners were also denied the right to buy vegetables and meat from canteen.

Despite the punitive action, the prisoners have declared their determination to continue the gradual hunger strike, the Gaza prison affairs ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

The strike includes prisoners in the Nafha, Ashkelon, Ofer, and Eishel prisons.

They began Saturday demanding that all prisoners are removed from isolation and conditions are improved.

There are currently 8,200 Palestinian prisoners and detainees being held in Israeli jails. Among them are 400 minors, 33 women, and 16 members of the Palestinian legislative body.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian