RAMALLAH: A female Palestinian prisoner, in a testimony documented by the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs following a visit by her lawyer to Israel’s Damon Prison, revealed that she was subjected to serious abuses since her arrest and through her detention.
The detainee said that she faced harsh interrogations, constant psychological pressure, threats against her family members and sexual harassment.
According to the detainee, Israeli forces raided her family home before dawn and transferred her between several interrogation centers, where she underwent lengthy interrogation sessions lasting for hours over several days, accompanied by threats of violence against her family members, repeated insults, in an effort to extract confessions.
She added that one of the interrogators deliberately and repeatedly sexually harassed her during the interrogation sessions, despite her clear objections and her informing him that his actions constituted harassment, but he continued the behavior.
The detainee also said she was subjected to strip searches on more than one occasion before being transferred to Damon Prison, where she described detention conditions as falling below basic standards of human dignity.
These conditions, she added, included severe overcrowding, poor-quality food, extreme cold, insect infestations, a shortage of hygiene products and clothing, and a lack of beds that forced some detainees to sleep on the floor.
According to her testimony, prison authorities continue to impose restrictive measures on female detainees, including frequent cell raids, surprise searches, solitary confinement, restrictions on communication between prison sections, and the denial of basic necessities.
