Lawyer of the Mandela Institute, Bothaina Douqmaq, visited the Dr. Aziz Dweik, the jailed head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and a number of detained legislators and officials illegally held by Israel.Douqmaq visited Dr. Hatim Jarrar, head of Jenin Municipality, Legislator Nasser Abdul-Jawad, Legislator Hosny al Boureeny, Legislator Fathi Al Qar’awy, Legislator Riyadh Raddad, and Legislator Hashim Al Masry.
Dr. Dweik said that Israel’s imprisonment of the elected legislators and officials is a direct violation to the international law, and an attack against the Palestinian democracy, and called on the Palestinian legislators to hold regular sessions in order to follow-up on the Palestinian situation and the needs of the people.
He also called for continuing the local elections in the remaining Palestinian areas in order to maintain democratic councils everywhere in the Palestinian territories.
Dr. Dweik called on all Palestinian factions to have united statements regarding any prisoner swap deal with Israel and to avoid any conflicts.
Meanwhile, the jailed legislators spoke about the harsh living conditions that the detainees are facing, including medical neglect, bad food, and the harsh procedures which the Israeli Prison Administration is conducting by isolating dozens of detainees, and moving them from one detention facility to another which increased their suffering and the suffering of their families.
Douqmaq also tried to visit a number of detainees in Esheel detention facility, but the administration rejected its request although she already had provided the administration with a list of detainees that she intended to visit.
She was only allowed to visit one detainee identified as Ra’ed Abu La Hummus, while several other detainees were moved to other prisons without any prior notification.
She also said that the prison administration confiscated several tools that the detainees were using, especially the electric equipment.
At the Negev Detention facility, Douqmaq managed to visit Sheikh Jamal Al Taweel, the mayor of Al Biereh town, near Ramallah, and two other detainees.
The detainees complained that of bad treatment to them and their families, during visitation hours, and stated that the administration keeps the families waiting for several hours and conducts provocative body searches.
Furthermore, the detainees complained that the sick detainees are not provided with the needed medical care and medication and are subjected to harsh treatment.
In Telmond prison for women, lawyer Hilal Jaber, managed to visit a number of detainees who also complained of bad treatment and harsh living conditions.
