University students are poorly treated at Hadarim prison

Palestinian prisoners detained at the Israeli Hadarim detention center wrote of numerous claims of poor treatment at the hands of Israeli prison guards, in a letter to the Palestinian Prisoners Society on Tuesday.

According to the detainees, Israeli prison guards have been staging random and sudden night searches for the last three weeks, under the pretext that prisoners are concealing mobile telephones.

Additionally, the prison administration has prohibited detainees from continuing their university studies. Detainee Jamal Abu Mhessen named three such examples in the letter: Ayman Ash-Sarbati, Mahmoud As-Sarkhi, Khaled Muheisen and Ammar Mardi.

Abu Mhessen also told the Detainees’ Society that many prisoners had been arbitrarily punished by being transferred to isolation cells, including Ahmad Al-Faransy, Ammar Mardy, and Nasser Sweilim.

The detainee added that many in the detention center are anxious for news of a finalized prisoner swap deal in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Marwan Barghouti, the detained Fatah leader, is among those tipped for release if a deal is finalized. Barghouti is also detained at the Hadarim Detention Center.