Recently released female detainee tells of suffering, abuse in detention

 

Dozens of women and girls fill the home of the Fidda family in the West Bank city of Nablus, celebrating the release of Dr. Majedda Fidda, 41, who has just spent seven months in Israeli prison. 

Dr. Fidda spoke about the suffering that detainees face in Israeli prisons, the humiliation and abuse, in addition to extremely harsh living conditions.

“They [the soldiers] do not care about us in the least, they force even the extremely ill and weak to stand for counting”, Dr. Fidda said.

“If any woman couldn’t stand up, or fell down from weakness during the counting procedure, she would be confined to solitary, in a small, dark, cold room”

“In detention, I spent time with my fellow detainee Manal Ghanim, and her child Nour, who was born in prison, and is now one year and six months old – he’s spent his whole life so far in prison” Dr. Fidda said, “Soon he will be released with his mother, currently he does not know anyone in the outer world.”.

There are several under-age detainees in Israeli detention centers, arrested by the army and placed in prison, often without even being charged with a crime, deprived of their basic right to a good life and education.

The mother of Dr. Fidda said that she is very happy for the release of her daughter, but at the same time feels sad that other female detainees are still imprisoned and facing daily hardships.  She said, “My daughter always wanted to do humanitarian work, she is a pharmacist, she always wanted to help people, and she became a member of the Medical Scientific Society”, the mother added, “She used to go to the Old City of Nablus in order to help the people there, and would come back home to tell us about the sad conditions there…She would sit with us, tell the stories, and cry”.

 

Her father also said that he was always proud of her, of her work and her willingness to help others.  After a moment of silence he said, “They tortured her using illegal means, she was seated tied to a rolling chair, punched and slapped, they even used electricity against her, but her will and high spirits are stronger than them and their torture tools”.

Dr. Fidda was confined to solitary for 27 days, in a room which is less than one square meter.  She is free now, yet her heart and mind are with the other detainees who remained there, facing torture and harsh living conditions. Dr. Fidda appeals on behalf of herself and her fellow detainees to the international community, to her society and authority to keep their case alive, to expose the Israeli violations against the detainees, and the methods of torture practiced against them.  She says these methods are part of the ever bleeding wound in Palestine, the heart which beats to feed others with steadfastness and strong will.

It is worth mentioning that there are 130 female detainees in Telmond Detention Facility for Women, most of them are young and some are mothers.

                                      Translated by, Saed Bannoura – IMEMC