A security prisoner being held in Ketziot Prison died about a month ago and publication was only just allowed.
The prisoner is 38-year-old Thaer Abu Asab, who is serving a 20-year sentence for attempting to bomb a checkpoint near Nablus in 2005 during the Second Intifada. He was arrested carrying an explosive belt at the checkpoint.
Abu Asab was allegedly beaten to death in his cell by a group of guards, he died of his wounds within hours of the beating.
As part of the investigation, 19 guards were detained for questioning on suspicion of assault and causing injury.
A gag order, which has only just expired, had been in place following the incident.
Prisoner beaten death
A Palestinian security prisoner who was released last month as part of the hostage deal told Al Jazeera that he had seen the beating that allegedly killed Abu Asab.
“He refused to lower his head and they killed him,” he said. While another prisoner claimed several guards had entered the cell and beat Abu Asab in the head and then a few hours later cleared his cell and took him to a medical clinic.
His family have demanded Israeli authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
An autopsy conducted on Abu Asab’s body by the L. Greenberg National Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir was inconclusive.
Attorney Adi Kider from the Honnu organization that supports the prison guards said: “Unfortunately, the Israel Police conducts itself as it was the day before yesterday and has not changed a thing since the outbreak of the war. Wardens who acted in accordance with the instructions against security-terrorist prisoners, who did not budge despite the prison commanders, find themselves being interrogated as the last of the criminals, in investigations in which they suffered humiliation, and if that was not enough, it was agreed to release them but on the condition that they be under strict restrictive conditions and removal from their place of work.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said, “I will not conduct a field trial for the prison guards. They have the presumption of innocence – and there is no place to determine their fate before an in-depth investigation is carried out – it must be remembered that our prison guards are dealing with human scum, murderers, who pose a security risk, and I would suggest not to slander the prison guards and prejudging.”
Jesus Christ is King
Comments are closed.