Rights groups urge release of Palestinian-American detained in Israel

Sama Safi was arrested at her family home in the town of Birzeit, north of Ramallah, and charged with membership in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. (Supplied)

• Israeli forces arrested Safi, a 20-year-old psychology student from the occupied West Bank, on June 2
• A chronic health condition requires Safi to receive regular treatment in Rome

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories: More than 100 US organizations have called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to act “urgently” to secure the release of Palestinian-American student Sama Safi, who has been detained in Israel for over two months.
Israeli forces arrested Safi, a 20-year-old psychology student from the occupied West Bank, on June 2, along with two other students and a graduate of the university.
Human rights organizations and US political figures launched a campaign for Safi’s release days after her arrest.
A State Department spokesperson said at the time that it was following the case and took its commitment to protecting US citizens abroad seriously.
“During my detention, I was repeatedly subjected to verbal abuse... I was blindfolded and my hands were shackled,” the letter quoted Safi saying.
Safi was arrested at her family home in the town of Birzeit, north of Ramallah, and charged with membership in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a party that Israeli authorities classify as a “terrorist organization.”
She denies the allegation, her lawyer Leah Tsemel told AFP.
Safi’s case received renewed attention following the international outrage over the case of Palestinian-American Louai Abu Ridi, whose home in the West Bank village of Qusra was besieged by Israeli settlers.
Tsemel told AFP that a chronic health condition requires Safi to receive regular treatment in Rome.
She noted that Safi has twice been granted permission to leave the prison to receive treatment “but we are now demanding her release on bail.”
Tsemel said she expected to receive a response from the court in the coming days regarding the request.
Safi is being held in Damon Prison in northern Israel, which houses more than 90 Palestinian women detainees, including pregnant women and minors, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club advocacy group.
On Monday, the group said that “at least 10 Palestinian female prisoners have contracted scabies at Damon Prison,” warning that the disease could spread due to unsanitary conditions.
Israeli, Palestinian and international NGOs have warned of mistreatment and “torture” in Israeli prisons, particularly since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
The Israeli Prison Service has repeatedly said that all detainees are held in accordance with the law and that their rights are protected, and that its staff operate under continuous judicial oversight.
Responding to an AFP question about Safi’s detention, the Prison Service said such inquiries should be directed to “relevant security and judicial authorities,” without specifying which ones.
There are around 9,500 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.