July 23, 2011



JENIN (Ma'an) -- The Israeli prison administration has repeatedly refused to allow Palestinian prisoner Samer Juma medical treatment, relatives of the detainee told Ma'an.



Juma, 24, needs medical attention after being tortured during interrogation by Israeli security officials, his mother said.



Juma's mother said he was arrested from his family home in Jenin in August 2008 and was detained in Al-Jalameh interrogation center for two months.



"He was imprisoned in a small cell and taken to rounds of interrogation for six continuous hours everyday, during which he was stretched on the chair. An interrogator threatened him with long imprisonment and despite his deteriorating health they did not allow him to be treated."



He was transferred to Majedo prison for two years where he suffered medical negligence and strip searches, and his family was humiliated during visits, his mother said.



"A date was set for him to get treatment and the administration informed him after a year that he would be transferred to hospital for a check-up. But the administration canceled the appointment due to the Al-Adha holiday and the date of the family visits," Juma's mother added.



Instead of transferring Juma to a hospital, Israeli authorities moved him to a prison in the Negev desert.



Juma's family said they have submitted hundreds of applications to Israeli authorities for treatment but the requests have all been rejected.



"Despite huge efforts made by our family, medical negligence is carried out as a kind of torture against my son whom the interrogators have threatened with sickness and permanent disability," his mother said.









