Center: New sanctions on prisoners contrary to the strike’s agreement

The Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies said on Wednesday that the harsh measures and sanctions imposed on the Palestinian female prisoners recently are contrary to the agreement reached to end the Freedom and Dignity hunger strike.

Spokesman of the Center, Riyad al-Ashqar, said that many of those in charge of the prisoners’ file affirmed that the majority of the prisoners’ humanitarian and living demands were achieved following the 40-day hunger strike.

He added that the Israel Prison Service (IPS) has escalated its arbitrary measures against the Palestinian female prisoners since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan in violation of what was agreed upon between the negotiating committee and the IPS.

These arbitrary measures included raising the prices of the products in the prison’s canteen, including the handicraft tools which the IPS prohibited their entry through family visits, in addition to ignoring the prisoners’ complaints about the overcrowded cells, the continued humiliation, strip searches and ill treatment, according to Ashqar.

Ashqar pointed out that the female prisoners launched several protest steps to stop these violations including returning the meals provided to them and refusing to go out to the prison yard and threatened to escalate the protest unless the IPS stopped its violations.

The Center called on the organizations that sponsored the agreement between the prisoners and the IPS to follow up the strike’s achievements and ensure that the IPS meets the demands agreed upon.