Nother Prisoner Dies in Israeli Jail

A prisoner Dies and Another blinded due to Torture in Israeli Jails

GAZA, Palestine, June 23, 2005 (IPC) ---Brutal torture of the Palestinian political prisoners in the Israeli jails resulted in killing of a detainee while another lost his sight.

The detainee Aref Bani Owdeh, 26, from Jenin, was found dead in Galboa detention Thursday dawn, in mysterious Circumstances.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) reported that the detainees woke up for dawn prayers at 5:00 am, and attempted to wake Odeh up to attend the prayers, but found him unmoving and not breathing.

Medics at the detention were called and announced him dead.

Odeh is a member of the Islamic Jihad, was arrested in 2004 and sentenced to four consecutive years and additional ten months.

Ofer Livler, spokesperson of Israeli prisons, said that the body of Owdeh was transferred to the Abu Kbeer medical center for autopsy.

Livler added that a medical officer at the detention will probe in the event.

It is worth mentioning that Abu Odeh was working as a Palestinian Policeman before he was arrested.

Meanwhile, Lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Fahmi Shkeirat, reported that detainee Salama Mohammad Rashaida, 30, from Bethlehem, lost his sight due to the sever torture at the hand of the Israeli prison warders in Asqalan detention.

Shkeirat , who visited Rashaida, stated that the detainee was repeatedly interrogated for 40 hours each time, until he body collapsed and lost his sight.

In spite of his shouts and screams that he lost his sight, soldiers accused him of lying and placed him in a small dark cell.

The prison administration is rejecting to enable a doctor examine Rashaida.

Rashaida was arrested on May 7, 2005, when soldiers broke into his home. He was taken to Etzion detention where he spent five days in a solitary confinement and then afterwards transferred to Asqalan detention and was charged of weapon trade and smuggling.

Detainee Rashaida was suffering of pain in his eyes before he was arrested, which led to further complications as a result of continuous torture during interrogation.

PPS' Lawyer ShKeirat appealed international humanitarian organizations, and the Red Cross to interfere and practice pressures on the Israeli prison authorities in order to transfer the detainee to a hospital for medical treatment and attention.

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