Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli occupation’s Ofer prison have announced an escalation of protests and the closing of their sections after a Palestinian detainee held there was diagnosed with corona- virus upon his release. Nour al-Din Sarsour, 19, who was released from Ofer on 31 March 220, tested positive for COVID-19 after going to the hospital following his liberation. He was arrested on 18 March and was held at the Benjamin interrogation center before being transferred to Ofer. Fellow Palestinian political prisoners celebrated his release with him, as neither he nor his fellow detainees were aware of his condition. Because there is no systematic testing for COVID-19 in Israeli prisons – even for prisoners known to be exposed to Israeli jailers with coronavirus – Sarsour and his fellow prisoners were never tested. This situation persists despite the repeated entry of multiple Israeli jailers, guards, military court judges and interrogators into the prisons and the rooms and sections of the prisoners; some of these have later been diag- nosed with coronavirus. Palestinian political prisoners and the organ- izations defending their human rights have called for their immedi- ate release and even basic health protections,yet the Israeli aparth- eid regime has continued to intensify its repressive tactics against the prisoners while denying them access to cleaning supplies, proper health care and sanitation. Sources inside Ofer prison confirmed to Samidoun that they have decided to close their sections to express their outrage at the lack of protections for the prisoners. There is very serious concern and even panic inside Ofer prison, especially following the news that Sarsour was held in section 14, a section for new detainees, along with 36 fellow prisoners. He was held there for the 12 days before his release. Neverth- eless, the Israeli administration has announced no plans to release or even test the prisoners held there. As reported by Wattan News, prisoners in the Negev desert prison are also closing their sections in response to the ongoing violations of their rights and the threat to their health posed by the deadly combination of COVID-19, incarceration, occupation and apartheid. There is a great deal of tension inside all Israeli prisons after the report of Sarsour’s diagnosis, especially as there are a number of seriously ill prisoners, elderly priso- ners and child prisoners who are even more vulnerable in the close, crowded conditions in which Palestinian political prisoners are jailed. One of the Palestinian detainees in Ofer who was held in Section 14 with Sarsour was then transferred to another section. When the prisoners asked for him to be quarantined, the administration reportedly refused, forcing the prisoners to develop their own isolation and quarantine system for the potentially infected detainee. Palestinian prisoners are being forced to devise their own methods of self-protection due to their denial by the Israeli occupation, despite the complete respons- ibility of the latter for the detainees’ lives and health. In addition, repressive raids on the prisoners’ sections have continued. Guards from repressive units ransack prisoners’ items, exposing them to contact with their hands as well as a stream of additional people who could potentially be exposed to coronavirus. Not only may Palestinian prisoners not “socially distance” – they are held six to eight to a room – but they are constantly threatened with exposure to guards, soldiers and other Israeli occupation forces that regularly interact with the outside world. Palestinian prisoners are demanding that all prisoners in Ofer be tested for COVID-19, especially the children held in section 13, located next to section 14; that the daily count be conducted via cameras and that wind-ow searches be conducted from outside rather than inside the rooms, in order to reduce their exposure to Israeli guards and soldiers who conti- nue to interact with the outside world. The Israeli regime’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners constitutes at minimum severe negligence to the health and lives of Palestinian political prisoners, in line with its long-standing practice of medica- l neglect.Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network emphas- izes that the systematic medical negligence and abuse conducted by the Israeli occupation regime against Palestinian political prisoners not only amounts to a serious threat to their health and lives, but also reflects a political decision to further dehumanize, repress and marginalize Palestinian detainees. The global pandemic of COVID-19 requires that Palestinian political prisoners be immediately released to protect their health from the danger of deadly spread inside the jails, especially child prisoners, elderly prisoners and ill prisoners.We reiterate our demand for the release of all Palestinian political prisoners, jailed for their resista- nce to occupation and apartheid. The coronavirus pandemic only further underlines the present urge- ncy of this demand.We urge all supporters of Palestine to join in Addameer’s call to action for Palestinian prisoners: http://addameer.org/news/urgent-action-free-our-prisoners in the era of COVID-19. As we confront COVID-19, we know that it is important, perhaps now more than ever, to stand with Palestinian prisoners and the Palestinian people, who are facing apartheid, racism, settler-colonialism and Zioni- sm, a deep threat to public health that has persisted in Palestine for over 70 years. If we seek a future in which we can truly stand together for humanity, we must stand with the Palestinian people to bring that system to an end, as well as the imperialist system that funds, arms and empowers it. Freedom for all Palestinian prisoners! Freedom for Palestine, from the river to the sea! |
