However, the announcement by the World Health Organization that the Palestinian government has taken advanced measures to combat and prevent the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the occupation government insists on its ongoing racism towards Palestinian prisoners, and insists on neglecting the lives of prisoners in israeli prisons, by refusing to take any precautionary measures to protect them.
Maj. Gen. Qadri Abu Bakr, head of commissions of prisoners’ Affairs, says in a special statement to “Fatah News”: “ The prisoners are symbols of patriotism,and sacrifice, and their responsibility restes with all of us. He pointed out that in light of the spread of the global epidemic, “Coronavirus”, several meetings were held with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to discuss the conditions of prisoners in the Israeli occupation prisons, pointing out that the prisoners are completely isolated and the virus can not spread among them except through the Israeli prison ”
Gen.Abu Bakr stated that the Israeli occupation has implemented many measures that increased suffering of the palestinian prisoners, such as transferring them to different prisons, and depriving them of many 170 items of food, milk, drink, and cleaning supplies, which led the prisoners to announce a warning strike for one day last Friday, without a response from the prison administration so far.
He pointed out that there are great pressures and appeals from President Mahmoud Abbas and the Prime Minister that there are precautionary measures inside prisons to prevent the spread of the epidemic, and he added that there were demands made during the meeting with the International Red Cross that it is necessary to install phones inside prisons, and allow some cash to be entered so that the prisoners can buy their requirements, especially after blocking visits. As a result of the pressures, the prison administration sterilized some prisons and this is not enough.
It is worth mentioning that there are 5,000 prisoners, 700 of them are patients needing permanent treatment, there are 52 women, including 17 married, and 200 minor children under the age of 17. We demand the release of all our priaonera and quickly the patients, elderly, children and women.
