Palestinian Detainee Dies In Israeli Prison

Friday June 11, 2010 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Ahrar Center for Detainees Studies reported Thursday that detainee Mohammad Abdul-Salaam Abdeen, 37, from al-Toor Palestinian neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, died at the al-Ramla prison.

Abdul-Salaam Abdeen

The detainees was reportedly tortured by Israeli interrogators and died in his cell later on. He also suffered bad health conditions and was prevented from received the needed medical attention.

His family said that his wife visited him last Monday, June 6, and that she noticed that he was in extreme pain and that his hands were shakings.

The family filed complaints to several human rights organization, including the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem).

Abdeen was kidnapped by the army two years ago when his car had a collision with an Israeli vehicle; two Israeli policemen were in the vehicle and both were mildly wounded.

He was then moved to interrogation at the Asqalan (Ashkelon) Prison where he was interrogated and tortured for several weeks before he was moved to solidarity confinement at the Eshil Prison. He was then moved to Ramon prison then to Majeddo prison where he died on Thursday evening.

His family held Israel responsible for his death as when his wife visited him on June 6 his body was week and his arms and legs could barely function.

Abdeen is a father of five (three boys and two girls), he lived in al-Azraiyya (Bethany) Palestinian town in East Jerusalem before he moved to Ramallah due to the Annexation Wall. He owns a factory manufacturing plastic products in Ramallah.

His death rises the number of Palestinian detainees who died in Israeli prison since 1967 to 199; 70 of them died due to torture, 70 were shot during the course of their arrest or after their arrest, 52 died due to not receiving the needed medical treatment, 7 were shot and killed by while in prison.

Before Abdeen, detainee Raed Abu Hammad from Jerusalem, died at an Israeli prison due to torture and the lack of medical attention.