Ref: 115/2008

Date: 21 December 2008

Time: 13:00 GMT

PCHR Strongly Condemns Assault against Palestinian Detainees in Oufar Detention Center 

PCHR strongly condemns attacks launched by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against Palestinian detainees in Oufar detention facility.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 11:00 on Saturday, 20 December 2008, dozens of IOF prison guards, accompanied by representatives of the administration of Oufar detention facility, southwest of Ramallah, arrived at Department B to conduct security search without prior coordination with representatives of detainees. They provocatively searched the department and violently beat a number of detainees. As a consequence, tension spread over the detention facility and the detainees declared high alert. Soon after, the administration of the detention facility used hoses of hot water, sound bombs and tear gas canisters against the detainees. IOF prison guard also fired at the detainees who attempted to confront the raid using soap pieces and shoes. Nevertheless, the attack against detainees continued. Fire broke out in 9 tents and 8 detainees were injured and were treated on spot. IOF prison guards confiscated some belongings of the detainees, including grocery and television sets, as a measure of punishment against them. According to information available to PCHR, the detainees declared a hunger strike and refused to have lunch and dinner on Saturday.

IOF have reused Oufar detention facility in Bitounia town, southwest of Ramallah, since 1 April 2002 following their wide scale military campaign against the West Bank, known as “Operation Defensive Shield,” at the end of which IOF completely reoccupied the West Bank. At least 1,200 Palestinians are currently detained in the detention facility, under severe living conditions. A number of these detainees suffer from chronic diseases, which require special treatment.

It is noted that raids in deletion facilities by “Matsada” and “Nahshon” military units of the Israeli prison authority have escalated in the past year and since Bini Kaniac became director of the authority. Under trivial pretexts, IOF raid detention departments in the early morning using force and gases, whose use is prohibited in closed areas, causing suffocation and diseases to the respiratory apparatus of many detainees.

In light of the campaign of incitement by some extremist Israeli political officials against Palestinian prisoners and their detention conditions, which are in fact deteriorating, PCHR is concerned that detention conditions may further deteriorate and more raids against detainees may be conducted by the Israeli prison authority, which may an explosive situation that may not be far.