Israel/OPT
28.05.02
Urgent Interventions
Israel: Mr. Abdul Al-Ahmar was released from prison on 23rd May, 2002, following a year of administrative detention
Case ISR 180701.4
Follow-up of Case ISR 180701
Release
Geneva, May 28th, 2002
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information regarding the following situation in Israel.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG), a member of the OMCT network, that Mr. Abdul Al-Ahmar was released from prison on 23rd May, 2002, following a year of administrative detention by the Israeli authorities.
According to information received, on the night of May 19th, 2002, Mr. al-Ahmar was moved from Ketziot prison in the south of Israel to the Ofer prison camp near the town of Betunia in the West Bank. On 23rd May, Mr. al-Ahmar was informed by an Israeli officer that he would be released. He was blindfolded, handcuffed, and forced to sit on the ground from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., and given only water. At about 8 p.m., Mr. al-Ahmar and 15 other prisoners were taken by bus to the Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem where their blindfolds were removed and the prisoners were released, still handcuffed. After spending the night in the town of Bir Nabala, Mr. al-Ahmar finally returned home to Bethlehem after having been detained at a checkpoint for a short time by Israeli police who did not realize that he had been released from prison the night before.
According to the report, Mr. al-Ahmar was detained in extremely poor conditions. In the Ofer prison, 145 people had to share two toothbrushes and three razors. For breakfast and dinner, seven people reportedly had to split a “can of cheese” and each person was given two pieces of stale bread. Lunch consisted of a piece of frozen chicken which some attempted to heat in the sun.
According to the information received, when the prisoners were taken from Ketziot to Ofer prison, they were met at the entrance by an Israeli officer of Russian origin named Sergi, who reportedly greeted the prisoners by saying, “This is Ofer, the Israeli concentration camp. We will do to you what the Nazis did to us, then in the future you may do the same with other people."
Remarks
OMCT welcomes the release of Mr. al-Ahmar and wishes to thank all those institutions, organisations and individuals who intervened on his behalf.
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received, Mr. al-Ahmar was arrested by Israeli security forces on May 24th 2001 and transferred to the Gush Etzion military detention center. On May 30th his detention was extended by 20 days, without the presence or knowledge of his lawyers, and he was transferred to the Russian Compound detention center in Jerusalem.
Following allegations that during his detention Mr al-Ahmar may have been subjected to torture, in particular to the “shabeh” torture method, which consists of being shackled in tight handcuffs to a slanting chair for the entire day (outlawed by the Israeli Supreme Court on September 6th 1999), Attorney Pacheco, acting for PCATI and the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG), both members of the OMCT network, filed a petition with the High Court against the torture on 11th June 2001. The petition was rejected during a hearing on June 12th, 2001, due to an alleged lack of evidence.
According to the information received, Mr. al-Ahmar had already been held in administrative detention for two and a half years, prior to his release in 1998, and a procedure on allegations of torture that he had initiated at that time is still pending against the GSS.
According to the information received, on July 15th 2001, an Israeli Military Judge, Adrian Agasi, issued a six-month administrative detention order against Mr. Abed al-Ahmar, on the basis of secret evidence submitted by the Israeli General Security Services (GSS). The hearing was held at the Megiddo detention center and the evidence presented by Mr. Al-Ahmar’s lawyers was reportedly not considered by the Judge. Mr. Al-Ahmar’s sentence was extended by a further 6 months from 14th November, 2001 until 23rd May, 2002. The GSS reportedly resorted to an extended administrative detention, as it saves them from having to present any evidence against Mr. Al-Ahmar to justify his prolonged detention.
Geneva, May 28th, 2002
Follow-up of Case ISR 180701
Release
Geneva, May 28th, 2002
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information regarding the following situation in Israel.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG), a member of the OMCT network, that Mr. Abdul Al-Ahmar was released from prison on 23rd May, 2002, following a year of administrative detention by the Israeli authorities.
According to information received, on the night of May 19th, 2002, Mr. al-Ahmar was moved from Ketziot prison in the south of Israel to the Ofer prison camp near the town of Betunia in the West Bank. On 23rd May, Mr. al-Ahmar was informed by an Israeli officer that he would be released. He was blindfolded, handcuffed, and forced to sit on the ground from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., and given only water. At about 8 p.m., Mr. al-Ahmar and 15 other prisoners were taken by bus to the Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem where their blindfolds were removed and the prisoners were released, still handcuffed. After spending the night in the town of Bir Nabala, Mr. al-Ahmar finally returned home to Bethlehem after having been detained at a checkpoint for a short time by Israeli police who did not realize that he had been released from prison the night before.
According to the report, Mr. al-Ahmar was detained in extremely poor conditions. In the Ofer prison, 145 people had to share two toothbrushes and three razors. For breakfast and dinner, seven people reportedly had to split a “can of cheese” and each person was given two pieces of stale bread. Lunch consisted of a piece of frozen chicken which some attempted to heat in the sun.
According to the information received, when the prisoners were taken from Ketziot to Ofer prison, they were met at the entrance by an Israeli officer of Russian origin named Sergi, who reportedly greeted the prisoners by saying, “This is Ofer, the Israeli concentration camp. We will do to you what the Nazis did to us, then in the future you may do the same with other people."
Remarks
OMCT welcomes the release of Mr. al-Ahmar and wishes to thank all those institutions, organisations and individuals who intervened on his behalf.
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received, Mr. al-Ahmar was arrested by Israeli security forces on May 24th 2001 and transferred to the Gush Etzion military detention center. On May 30th his detention was extended by 20 days, without the presence or knowledge of his lawyers, and he was transferred to the Russian Compound detention center in Jerusalem.
Following allegations that during his detention Mr al-Ahmar may have been subjected to torture, in particular to the “shabeh” torture method, which consists of being shackled in tight handcuffs to a slanting chair for the entire day (outlawed by the Israeli Supreme Court on September 6th 1999), Attorney Pacheco, acting for PCATI and the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG), both members of the OMCT network, filed a petition with the High Court against the torture on 11th June 2001. The petition was rejected during a hearing on June 12th, 2001, due to an alleged lack of evidence.
According to the information received, Mr. al-Ahmar had already been held in administrative detention for two and a half years, prior to his release in 1998, and a procedure on allegations of torture that he had initiated at that time is still pending against the GSS.
According to the information received, on July 15th 2001, an Israeli Military Judge, Adrian Agasi, issued a six-month administrative detention order against Mr. Abed al-Ahmar, on the basis of secret evidence submitted by the Israeli General Security Services (GSS). The hearing was held at the Megiddo detention center and the evidence presented by Mr. Al-Ahmar’s lawyers was reportedly not considered by the Judge. Mr. Al-Ahmar’s sentence was extended by a further 6 months from 14th November, 2001 until 23rd May, 2002. The GSS reportedly resorted to an extended administrative detention, as it saves them from having to present any evidence against Mr. Al-Ahmar to justify his prolonged detention.
Geneva, May 28th, 2002