On the International Women’s Day there are 30 Palestinian female prisoners currently held under harsh detention condition behind Israeli prison bars.
The Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies affirmed that the Israeli arrests of Palestinian women have continued since the first years of the Israeli occupation till today.
However the Palestinian women’s detention has intensified during the Aqsa Intifada (uprising) as part of the Israeli collective punishment policy.
Between 10 and 15 Palestinian women and young women are monthly detained by Israeli occupation forces under flimsy pretexts the Center added pointing out that most of these arrests target Jerusalemite female activists at the Aqsa Mosque.
According to the head of the Center Riyad Al-Ashqar 17000 Palestinian women and girls were detained since 1967.
Since 2000 3000 Palestinian women and girls were arrested by the Israeli occupation 30 of whom are still imprisoned till today.
14 female prisoners continue to serve their sentences including eight who were sentenced to up to ten years imprisonment.
Among them are two minors six mothers six wounded female prisoners five sick prisoners suffering from varying medical illnesses and conditions and one female prisoner held under administrative detention without charge or trial.
Al-Ashqar pointed out that the Palestinian female detainees are denied their most basic right to freedom as they continue to be held in Israeli occupation prisons under deleterious conditions subject to torture ill-treatment medical neglect and the violation of their rights and dignity.
On the 8th of March the International Women’s Day Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies urges the international community to demand the release of all Palestinian female political prisoners held arbitrarily in Israeli prisons and detention centers.
