In prison, who knows why

Mohammed Omer, Inter Press Service, Mar 19, 2008



A Palestinian child holds a photographed of a relative held in Israeli prison, at protest in Gaza City. (Wissam Nassar, Maan Images)
You would think the baby boy named Yousef has his life ahead of him. But who knows, with a child born to Palestinian parents from Gaza. What's more, Yousef was born in an Israeli prison.

He is the only one of Fatima al-Zeq's nine children who is with her for that reason - she was arrested nine months ago. But these days the baby is not with her. He developed stomach pain, began to vomit, and has been transferred to a hospital inside Hasharon prison in Israel.

Fatima has written to human rights organisations in Gaza asking for their help in seeing the baby is looked after, something she cannot do herself.

Her other children do not know why mother is in prison; the Israelis haven't told them, and they haven't told Palestinian authorities. And they declined to tell IPS. If anything, the Israelis say the arrests are for "security reasons".

According to a Palestinian source, she was arrested because Israeli authorities suspected she would carry out an attack in Israel. No explosives were found on her. Another source suggests that she was arrested because she is a relative of an Islamic Jihad leader.

Fatema had gone to an Israeli hospital to seek treatment, and had a permit for it, her family members say. But at the checkpoint they arrested her and threw her in jail. She joins thousands of Palestinians inside Israeli jails. And their families are not always told why they are in prison, whether they have been charged, or convicted, and when, if ever, they will be released.
more...

http://imeu.net/news/article008204.shtml

"When did the Israelis get their own Gitmo?"

Karma is a bitch.