RAMALLAH, (PIC)
The Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) has accused the Israeli prison service of repressing Palestinian female detainees in Damon jail 10 times during March and April.
“Israel holds 88 female prisoners in Damon jail, along with several others in interrogation and detention centers. Among them are two minors and three women in the early months of pregnancy, who were recently arrested on charges related to alleged incitement,” PPS said in a statement released recently.
According to PPS, the female detainees endured harsh and violent practices during the reported months, including beatings, forced submission to the ground, and restraints applied to their hands.
Based on testimonies from recently released female prisoners, Damon jailers deliberately assaulted detainees while they were restrained on the ground, injuring many of them.
PPS also accused Israeli jailers of escalating the policy of solitary confinement against female detainees since the war on Gaza started in October 2023, noting that at least six prisoners had been subjected to isolation, some for more than two weeks.
The PPS statement highlighted extreme overcrowding in Damon jail, pointing out that as many as 10 detainees share a single cell, with most compelled to sleep on the ground.
“Since that period, starvation has become one of the most frequently reported practices in detainees’ testimonies, particularly during Israeli holidays. One prisoner was said to have lost nearly 30 kilograms after several months in detention,” PPS said.
“Testimonies further indicated that certain Israeli practices have become systematic since 2023, including strip searches, especially during transfers to Hasharon prison as a temporary stop or upon entry to Damon jail, where detainees described the searches as humiliating and degrading,” PPS added.
