On Sunday 19 September 2010, an Israeli court in the city of Beer Shiva sentenced a Palestinian patient, Ahmed Samir Asfour, 19, to 30 months in prison.
The patient was arrested at Erez crossing as he was in his way to a hospital in Jerusalem according to a permit issued by the Israeli authorities.
Only patients who suffer life threatening medical conditions are usually granted permission to leave Gaza via Erez Crossing.
He was sentenced by a court that lacks the standards necessary for fair trial.
Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights condemns the arrest of Palestinian patients at Erez and the sentencing of Asfour to imprisonment.
  Ahmed Asfour's case represents clear evidence of the Israeli disregard to the laws and ethics concerning the right to health of Palestinian patients.
On 9 January 2009, Ahmed Asfour was injured when the IOF attacked a group of Palestinians in the Abasan town, east of Khan Younis, during the Israeli offensive on Gaza (Operation Cast Lead).
Asfour received medical treatment at Egyptian hospitals.
He underwent several surgeries and parts of his intestines were excised.
Ahmed's ulna bone was smashed and a nerve in his hand was torn out.
His left-hand fingers were amputated and part of skin of his right hand was burnt.
As his treatment at Egyptian hospitals was unsuccessful, Ahmed obtained a referral to Mar Yousif Hospital to reconnect the nerve and to have a transplant in his elbow.
He applied for a permit with the Israeli authorities to access the hospital and was granted it after the regular security check.
  At approximately 11:30am on Wednesday 25 November 2009, the IOF arrested Ahmed Asfour, at Erez Crossing.
He and his father were on their way to Mar Yousif Hospital in Jerusalem when the IOF arrested Ahmed.
The two were strip-searched and interrogated for several hours.
Then, the IOF ordered the father to return to Gaza after informing him that his son was arrested.
According to the father, the IOF confiscated three cell phones, USD 2500, NIS 1500 Israeli Shekels, medicines, the passports, and Ahmed's medical reports.
Ahmed was interrogated and tortured at Israeli prisons; then he was sentenced to 30 months in prison by a court in Beer Shiva.
  Al Mezan strongly condemns the sentencing of Asfour to imprisonment.
The arrest of Asfour is part of the Israeli security coercion of Palestinian patients who need treatment outside Gaza.
This practice violates the patients’ rights to health, movement and dignity, also in violation of Israel’s international obligations.
 Al Mezan is concerned by presenting the treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli security authorities, which involves abuse and torture.
Al Mezan is also concerned by the treatment Palestinians facing ‘security offenses’ at Israeli courts, which lack the minimum standards of fair trial and do not allow for effective Legal defence by their lawyers.
Israeli courts tend to sentence Palestinians with harsher punishment compared with Israelis.
They accept evidence extracted under torture and contained in secret evidence provided by the intelligence services.
       The IOF is responsible for Ahmed's life and health condition.
 Al Mezan calls on the international community to intervene to stop the Israeli violations of the international law against Palestinian civilians through ensuring its compliance by human rights standards in its treatment of Palestinians.
  Ends