Document - Israel and the Occupied Territories: Further information on Health concern/ill-treatment/detention without

PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 15/020/2003

10 February 2003

Further Information on UA 29/03 (MDE 15/015/2003, 28 January 2003) Detention without charge

ISRAEL/ 'Abla Sa'adat (f), aged 47, human rights defender

OCCUPIED TERRITORIES Iman Abu Farah (f), aged 24

Fatma Zayed (f), aged 23

‘Abla Sa’adat, Iman Abu Farah and Fatma Zayed continue to be held in detention without charge by the Israeli army.

On 30 January, after an eight-day hunger strike in protest at their detention conditions, ‘Abla Sa’adat and Iman Abu Farah were transferred to Neve Tirza, the women’s section of Ramleh Prison in Israel. However, they were held with the prison's female criminal prisoners. This was in direct violation of Israeli law which stipulates that administrative detainees should be held in protected sections away from convicted criminals, those awaiting trial, and habitual drug users. They were reportedly subjected to harassment and humiliation by the other prisoners.

Having spent five days in the criminal section of Neve Tirza, both ‘Abla Sa’adat and Iman Abu Farah resumed their hunger strike on 4 February. The same day, however, they were moved to the section which holds the Palestinian female political detainees.

Fatma Zayed remains at the Moskobiyye Interrogation Centre in Jerusalem, where she was taken on 26 January. She initially was prohibited from meeting with her lawyers, but on 30 January the prohibition was lifted and she met her lawyer the next day.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send a last round of appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English, Hebrew or your own language:

- urging the Israeli authorities to immediately and unconditionally release ‘Abla Sa'adat, Iman Abu Farah and Fatma Zayed unless they are to be charged with a recognizable criminal offence and promptly tried in a proper court of law in accordance with internationally accepted standards for fair trial.

- calling for an end to the use of administrative detention.

APPEALS TO:

Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister

Office of the Prime Minister

3 Kaplan Street, P O Box 187

Jerusalem 91919, Israel

Fax: +972 2 6705475

Telex: 25279 MPRES IL

E-mail: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il

Salutation: Dear Prime Minister

Meir Sheetrit, Minister of Justice

Ministry of Justice

29 Salah al-Din Street

Jerusalem 91010, Israel

Fax: +972 2 6285438

E-mail: sar@justice.gov.il

Salutation: Dear Minister

Elyakim Rubinstein, Attorney-General/Legal

Advisor to the Government

Ministry of Justice

29 Salah al-Din Street

Jerusalem 91010, Israel

Fax: +972 2 6285438

Salutation: Dear Attorney-General

COPIES TO: Diplomatic representatives of Israel accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 24 March 2003.