Undressed inspection.. a means to humiliate prisoners

Undressed inspection.. a means to humiliate prisoners

Wednesday 13 June 2012 2:48 PM
Share

Ahrar-Wledna

Prisoners in Rimon stronghold, south of occupied Palestine, refuse the undressed searches, and confronted with the forces assigned for repression.

Mohannad Shraim, member of the hunger strike leadership committee, reported to Ahrar Center for Prisoners and Human Rights Studies the details of the confrontation.
He revealed that the prisoners in section 4, in Rimon Prison, were surprised after midnight last Tuesday by the forces of “Aldror” and “Metsada” breaking into their rooms and asking prisoners for strip searches, which was rejected by all prisoners.

He added that the prisoners’ refusal led to a confrontation in the section 4 which includes prisoners of "Hamas" and "Jihad" movements.

Shreim said that a group of prisoners burned their mattresses protesting against undressed searches and sections 1 and section 5 demonstrated interactions and solidarity with prisoners of section 4.

“Prisoners threatened to burn the prison in case the forces did not come out, which made the prison management summon a large force of “Alnhashon” of all prisons in the south region” he manifested.

Shreim added that Alnhashon force was led by the officer Nazim Sbeiti, commander of the South region of prisons service.

He revealed that the force broke into sections where prisoners burned mattresses and withdrew all electrical devices such as TVs and radios.

“They closed the sections and made prisoners undress for inspection by force by assigning four soldiers for each prisoner” he continued.

Shreim clarified that the message of the Prison Service was clear. They want to humiliate prisoners, but they refused this attempt and decided to escalate and confront as a form of protest.

He said that this step is more effective than the hunger strike. And that the main reason for the rejection of the undressed searches, is that it degrades the value of humanity and it is a violation of the international norms and laws.

The ex-detainee, Abdul Qadir Masalmah, said that the purpose of this undressed inspections, carried out by the Prison Service, is for the purpose Embitterment.
Masalmah said, in an interview, that the unit of Alnhashon is the arm of the Prison Service for the suppression of the prisoners.

He explained the procedures of the process of inspection includes outing prisoners in the Square within the prison for 4 to 6 hours, and the force of Alnhashon deliberately delay in the inspection process to gain more time, in order to harm prisoners psychologically.

The process also includes mixing the food of prisoners so as not to be benefited from, and mixing personal belongings of all prisoners subject to the inspection.

"The feelings of anxiety, tension and anger creep into the hearts of prisoners during the inspection, in addition to deliberate provoking of prisoners, under the guidance of officers of the Prison Service, who are keen to make the prisoner in a permanent state of tension and anxiety", Masalmah said.

He noted that the Prison Service does not specify a time for inspection. It may be at day or night and at different times, in order to keep prisoners in a permanent state of alert.
Masalmah revealed that the Prison Service and its officers do not adhere to the terms of the agreements signed with prisoners.

It is noteworthy that prisoners are being shot and killed during the inspection process, as happened with the prisoner Mohamed Al-Ashqar, of Tulkarm. Al-Ashqar was targeted by forces of Metsada in October of 2007, in the Neqab prison with a bullet in the head during an inspection operation.

ends

© Scoop Media