A detention experience limited to the number of days in captivity, full of incidents of abuse against prisoners, different from all previous detention experiences, in terms of the severity of repression and abuse of prisoners. It is part of what the Jerusalemite writer and political analyst Rasem Obeidat said after his release from detention. Obaidat was arrested last Tuesday, after his home in Jabal Mukaber was stormed, and remained in captivity for 3 days. He was released by decision of the public prosecutor after the lawyer provided an accurate translation of the statements made by the writer Obaidat to a number of local media outlets, during which he was accused of ‘incitement.’ Writer and analyst Obaidat spoke to Ma’an Agency about his arrest, the charges brought against him, the conditions of the detainee in Al-Maskobiyya, and the conditions of the prisoners. Regarding the arrest, he said: ” The raid on my house coincided with my presence outside it, so the intelligence man called him and asked him to return to the house within 10 minutes, threatening to sabotage, search, and destroy the contents if he did not show up.” Obaidat explained that upon his arrival at the house, the forces searched some of the contents and confiscated 15 shields and two models of the Dome of the Rock. He said: ‘The occupation wants these shields to be an incitement material against the detainee on the political side.’ Regarding the interrogation that took place with him at the ‘Chambers 4’ center, regarding his statements to the media, he confirmed to the investigator that they were collected, composite and fragmented materials. During the investigation, the investigator tried to force him to release a video about the events of October 7, and about the rape and dismemberment of Jewish children and women, telling him that he is an influential man in the city of Jerusalem, and you must condemn what happened. Obaidat refused and said: ‘You can stab me, but I will not make a video.’ My position is clear on this issue. The investigation also touched on Obaidat’s use of ‘The Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood’ in his statements. Instead of the ‘battle of the iron swords,’ and his statements about the raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque and about the Minister of National Security and the Minister of Finance in the Israeli government. As for the third charge, it was based on the fact that he was a central person in the incitement operations in the city of Jerusalem, and that he was a man known to the Israeli services, and he always carried out incitement. Obaidat rejected all charges against him. Obaidat said during the investigation: ‘If you are serious about peace, we are in favor of a solution based on giving the Palestinian people their legitimate national rights.’ Obaidat added that the investigator emphasized Obaidat’s phrase, ‘Gaza must return to the homeland.’ He assured him that Gaza is part of the Palestinian territories, so the investigator then said it is part of Israel. As for the prison rooms in Al-Maskobiyah, Obaidat said, ‘It is part of the investigation, and it involves an attempt to harm the dignity, humiliate the prisoner, and make him feel inferior.’ The sixty-year-old Maqdisi writer Obaidat described the prisoners’ rooms, saying: ‘Mattresses and covers are confiscated from 5:00 in the morning until nine-thirty to ten in the evening, and during that time the lighting is cut off from the room and the bathroom ‘which is inside the room,’ and the air conditioner is on a low, cold setting around the clock. There is no hot water, we are forbidden from wearing jackets or heavy clothes, and it is forbidden to change outer and inner clothes.’ Sleeping is on the bed without a mattress or stone floors, and the pillow is a ‘water bottle.’ Obaidat added: ‘There is a violation of the prisoner’s dignity, counting operations 4 times a day, special forces storming the rooms and forcing the prisoners to turn towards the wall, preventing them from moving or turning around. The fifth raid into the rooms is ‘knocking’, during which they knock on the walls and doors.’ Obaidat continued to continuously light up the prisoners, and knock on the doors, every 20 minutes so that the prisoner would not be able to sleep or at least feel some kind of comfort and reassurance. As for the food provided, it is barely enough for the prisoner, it only keeps him alive, and the constant feeling of hunger for all prisoners, the quality of the food is poor, and if they bring rice with a plastic spoon, the spoon is confiscated after they finish eating under the pretext of ‘not digging to try to escape from prison.’ Obaidat said that the conditions of detention of young men are difficult, especially after the dates of 8/10 until 5/12, beatings and assaults. After that date, the attacks decreased, but in general it depends on the mood of the jailer, and according to the development of the battle taking place with the occupation.” Obaidat added that blood was flowing from the face and hands due to the harsh beating. Obaidat pointed out that most of the arrests in Al-Maskobiyya are ‘ Suspicions of incitement on Facebook directly accused him of supporting Hamas or any Palestinian organization, with the aim of convicting Al-Assir, and he said: ” Al-Mascobiyya receives prisoners in this direction around the clock.” Obaidat pointed out what the young prisoners told him about being forced to carry the Israeli flag and repeat ‘phrases ‘Down with Hamas’.’ Under threat of weapons
Source: Maan News Agency