Health conditions deteriorate for sick detainees in ‘Rimon’ prison
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- Sick detainees face denial of medical care and severe overcrowding.
- Rights group cites daily abuse, hunger, and untreated illnesses.
The Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs warned that Palestinian detainees held at ‘Rimon’ prison are enduring extremely harsh conditions, with sick detainees facing neglect, overcrowding, and denial of medical treatment.
In a report issued after a lawyer’s visit, the commission detailed the cases of two ill detainees and described what it called a broader pattern of abuse affecting detainees across the facility.
Untreated illnesses
One of the cases involves Dhafer Rimawi, 34, from Beit Rima near Ramallah, who is serving a 32-year sentence. Rimawi suffers from a thyroid disorder and was scheduled to undergo blood tests in November, but no examinations have been carried out to date.
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The condition causes persistent coldness, yet he is provided with only one blanket. He also reported widespread skin diseases among prisoners, saying boils and infections are common and accompanied by foul odors due to the lack of hygiene and treatment, according to his testimony.
Overcrowding and degrading conditions
Rimawi said overcrowding has reached critical levels across all sections and rooms. Each room holds 10 to 12 prisoners, despite being designed for far fewer.
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“The rooms have turned into cells”, he said, noting that each room contains six beds while the remaining prisoners sleep on the floor. Each detainee is given only one blanket, a thin mattress, and the clothes they wear, with no additional supplies.
Heart and joint conditions ignored
The commission also highlighted the case of Mohammed Kleib, 29, from Haris near Salfit. Kleib suffers from torn cartilage in both knees and has experienced irregular heartbeats for three years.
Despite undergoing medical tests, he has not received any treatment, according to the report.
Systematic abuse alleged
The commission said conditions inside the prison are “extremely difficult”, adding that sections and rooms remain locked, preventing detainees from communicating with one another.
It reported that detainees are subjected daily to insults, beatings, starvation, and the systematic denial of medical care. Sick detainees, the commission warned, are at particular risk as their conditions continue to worsen without treatment.
Palestinian rights groups have repeatedly accused ‘Israeli’ prison authorities of medical neglect and degrading treatment, violations they say have intensified amid broader repression targeting Palestinian detainees.
The commission called for urgent international intervention to protect detainees’ lives and to hold ‘Israel’ accountable for what it described as serious abuses inside detention facilities.
