Ramallah: On the occasion of Palestinian Prisoners' Day, which falls on 17 April every year, the General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Friday expressed deep concern over the deteriorating conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the latest figures from Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, reveal that there are currently 9,600 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers. This includes 342 child prisoners and 84 female prisoners, alongside an unspecified number of detainees from the Gaza Strip.
Among these prisoners, 3,532 Palestinians are held under 'administrative detention,' a policy allowing detention without charge or trial for renewable intervals, based on undisclosed evidence that even the detainee's lawyer cannot access.
The General Secretariat highlighted the severity of the systematic crimes against Palestinian prisoners, including the ratification of the death penalty, which deprives them of basic human rights under international humanitarian law. These rights include access to education, treatment, and communication with the outside world. Prisoners are reportedly subjected to torture, abuse, dehumanization, psychological terrorism, sexual violence, rape, starvation, and solitary confinement, actions that are considered war crimes and genocide under international criminal law.
The General Secretariat further stated that these actions by the Israeli occupation violate international humanitarian law, the Charter of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions, and other international conventions. The OIC called for increased efforts to prosecute and hold the occupation accountable according to international criminal law.
The OIC reiterated its commitment to political, legal, and media efforts to support Palestinian prisoners. It aims to communicate their plight to the world through international forums such as the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, the Human Rights Council, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court, advocating for their rights and seeking freedom, justice, and dignity for them.