RAMALLAH, (PIC)
The Prisoners’ Affairs Commission stated that Israel’s Ramon prison administration ignores monitoring the conditions of Palestinian sick detainees. The Commission’s legal department reported that it managed to visit the dean of detainees, Mohammed Al-Tawas, in Ramon prison, as well as detainees Murad Abu Al-Rab and Taher Saleh, who spoke about the suffering of the detainees there.
The detainees focused their discussion on the sick detainees, whose illnesses and health conditions are ignored by the prison administration. They are subjected to organized persecution, left as prey to their diseases, and denied treatment and medication.
Dean of detainees Mohammed Al-Tawas, who has been detained since 1985 and sentenced to life imprisonment, spoke about the general conditions in the prison, describing them as the worst he has witnessed in his nearly 39 years of imprisonment. They face all forms of punishment and deprivation, which have affected every aspect of their lives.
The legal team clarified that the dean of detainees, Al-Tawas, suffers from visual impairment. He had a retinal problem two years ago and was undergoing a treatment program, but the prison administration halted it since the outbreak of the aggression (on Gaza), depriving him of completing his treatment. This has led to a deterioration in his vision, and he can now only see things very close to him.
Detainee Murad Abu Al-Rub, who is serving four life sentences, confirmed that complex medical cases in the prison are subject to punishment. He is confined to a room with four detainees who rely on ventilators for breathing: Khalil Baraq’a, Asaf Zahran, Samer Hashash, and Asaad Za’rab.
He also spoke about the widespread skin diseases among the detainees due to the deprivation of sanitizers, cleaning materials, shortage of clothes, and blankets.
Regarding the health condition of detainee Abu Al-Rub, he was supposed to undergo a nasal operation due to a fracture he suffered at the moment of his arrest. However, the prison administration prevents him from receiving treatment.
Administrative detainee Taher Saleh, who has been detained for four years, spoke about his difficult health condition. He experienced a sudden ailment two months ago, diagnosed as a severe pain in his head and chest, causing him to lose consciousness. He regained consciousness after the intervention of the prison doctor, who applied pressure to his chest. The ailment resulted in paralysis in the left side of his body, making him unable to move his jaw, arm, and leg. He suffers from constant and severe pain, cannot walk or use the bathroom, and relies on a wheelchair with the help of other detainees. He also experiences memory and concentration problems.
Recently, Saleh has regained some movement in his jaw after receiving nerve medication. Despite all that, he has not been transferred to a hospital and has been left with only this treatment, despite being informed by the prison clinic doctor that he needs electrotherapy sessions to revive his nerves.
The Commission warned of the escalating crime of medical negligence in this manner and approach, which threatens the lives of dozens and hundreds of sick detainees. The current health situation requires urgent international intervention, as the continued denial of treatment and medication puts them in real danger, especially since the prison guards lack all humanitarian aspects and exploit the aggression to exacerbate the pain and diseases among the detainees.
