Israel/OPT
11.07.02
Urgent Interventions
srael: denial of medical treatment to prisoners
Case ISR 071102 / Case ISR 071102. ESCRC
URGENT APPEAL/ ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONCERN
Denial of Medical Treatment / Ill-Treatment of Prisoners
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Israel.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by LAW, a member of the OMCT network, that two Palestinian prisoners of the Ofer detention centre, west of Ramallah, have been denied medical treatment by Israeli prison administration, despite their repeated requests for urgent and necessary medical intervention.
According to the information received, Palestinian prisoner Hazim al-Natsha was imprisoned on April 29 2002 in the Ofer detention centre, while leaving a local hospital in Hebron, where he was treated for serious injuries resulting from a shot in the stomach and the leg during the April siege of Hebron. It is reported that during his stay at the hospital, al-Natsha had two operations, during which his right leg was broken and he thus needs now another operation of his leg. Yet, according to the information received, the prison authorities show no concern for his condition and, every time that he asks for the prison doctor, he is given instead a medicine called “Elatrolet 10mg” which causes severe pain in his stomach and does not heal his wounds or relieve his pain.
It is also reported that Palestinian prisoner Hussein al-Sawa’eed, who is in need of an operation to remove a large swollen lump in his neck, is not allowed to do so by the prison authorities but is given painkillers by a prison nurse instead.
Complaints of poor treatment and medical negligence are allegedly common at the Ofer detention centre, where many wounded Palestinian detainees have not received appropriate medical treatment. Moreover, it is reported that the prisoners are submitted to daily humiliation and live under severe detention conditions. Indeed, it is reported that they receive bad quality food in insufficient quantity, are not given enough winter clothing or blankets and are kept in tents that do not protect them from the cold, 22 to 25 detainees being forced to live in four tents.
Action Requested
Please write to the Israeli authorities urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the persons mentioned above and notably by giving them appropriate medical treatment;
ii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards such as the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Addresses
· Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, 3 Kaplan Street, Jerusalem 91007, Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2) 651 2631 / 566 48 38
· Meir Shitrit, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, 29 Salah al-Din Street, Jerusalem 91029, State of Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 62 8 54 38 or + 972 2 628 8618
· Eli Yishai, Minister of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior, Fax: 00972 2 670 1411
· Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fax:(+ 972 2) 530 3704, E-mail: sar@mofa.gov.il
· The Supreme Court of Justice, Kiryat Ben Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 652 71 18
Please also write to the embassies of Israel in your respective country
Geneva, November 7, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
URGENT APPEAL/ ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONCERN
Denial of Medical Treatment / Ill-Treatment of Prisoners
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Israel.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by LAW, a member of the OMCT network, that two Palestinian prisoners of the Ofer detention centre, west of Ramallah, have been denied medical treatment by Israeli prison administration, despite their repeated requests for urgent and necessary medical intervention.
According to the information received, Palestinian prisoner Hazim al-Natsha was imprisoned on April 29 2002 in the Ofer detention centre, while leaving a local hospital in Hebron, where he was treated for serious injuries resulting from a shot in the stomach and the leg during the April siege of Hebron. It is reported that during his stay at the hospital, al-Natsha had two operations, during which his right leg was broken and he thus needs now another operation of his leg. Yet, according to the information received, the prison authorities show no concern for his condition and, every time that he asks for the prison doctor, he is given instead a medicine called “Elatrolet 10mg” which causes severe pain in his stomach and does not heal his wounds or relieve his pain.
It is also reported that Palestinian prisoner Hussein al-Sawa’eed, who is in need of an operation to remove a large swollen lump in his neck, is not allowed to do so by the prison authorities but is given painkillers by a prison nurse instead.
Complaints of poor treatment and medical negligence are allegedly common at the Ofer detention centre, where many wounded Palestinian detainees have not received appropriate medical treatment. Moreover, it is reported that the prisoners are submitted to daily humiliation and live under severe detention conditions. Indeed, it is reported that they receive bad quality food in insufficient quantity, are not given enough winter clothing or blankets and are kept in tents that do not protect them from the cold, 22 to 25 detainees being forced to live in four tents.
Action Requested
Please write to the Israeli authorities urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the persons mentioned above and notably by giving them appropriate medical treatment;
ii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards such as the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Addresses
· Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, 3 Kaplan Street, Jerusalem 91007, Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2) 651 2631 / 566 48 38
· Meir Shitrit, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, 29 Salah al-Din Street, Jerusalem 91029, State of Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 62 8 54 38 or + 972 2 628 8618
· Eli Yishai, Minister of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior, Fax: 00972 2 670 1411
· Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fax:(+ 972 2) 530 3704, E-mail: sar@mofa.gov.il
· The Supreme Court of Justice, Kiryat Ben Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 652 71 18
Please also write to the embassies of Israel in your respective country
Geneva, November 7, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.