At approximately 8pm on Friday 7 September 2007, an Israeli special unit abducted Mhawish Salamah An-Nueimat from Rafah town, south of the Gaza Strip.
The arrest of Mhawish comes in the midst of escalation of arrests of Gazans by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
210 Palestinians have been arrested by IOF since 15 June 2007.
According to field investigations by Al Mezan, a group of Israeli soldiers who were in black wear stopped Mhawish's car in Al Jneina neighborhood, south- east of Rafah.
Mhawish was driving home accompanied by his wife and children.
The car was stopped near the family's house.
The soldiers forced the family to leave the car and anesthetized Mhawish.
When the family cried for help, the disguised soldiers told them that they were from the Palestinian police and drove Mhawish's car fast towards the nearby Gaza International Airport.
Eyewitnesses reported that he was soon transported by a helicopter into Israel.
Al Mezan's lawyers, who were approached by the family, confirmed that he has been detained in Al Majdal (Ashkelon) prison.
The lawyers' filed a request to visit him, but the Israeli Prisons authorities rejected it.
Al Mezan has observed there has been a serious escalation of arbitrary arrests by IOF in Gaza over the past three months; not to mention the frequent rounding of civilians and then carry out interrogations and arrests of those whom the IOF alleged to be wanted for Israel.
Al Mezan has noticed the employment of new types of humiliating, cruel treatment and torture against citizens under the custody of IOF.
Those include forcing them to undress in the presence of other prisoners before giving them prison clothes before interrogation.
According to Al Mezan's documentation, IOF has arrested 210 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip since 15 June 2007; including 10 fishermen, one woman and many children.
One person was arrested in his way back from Egypt via El Ujja crossing.
73 of those remain under the custody of IOF; including one child.
Al Mezan represents 58 out of the 73 prisoners mentioned above.
The Center's lawyers reported that those have been subjected to torture, military trials that lack the minimum standards of fair trial, and excessive sentences; mainly on the grounds of political affiliation or resistance against the occupation.
In addition, IOF has prohibited the families of Gazan prisoners from visiting them for three months in a row now.
Al Mezan Center reiterates its condemnation of IOF's arbitrary detention in OPT.
The Center condemns with the strongest words the continued employment of torture, cruel and inhumane treatment against Palestinians under the custody of IOF.
These conducts are absolutely prohibited under international law under all circumstances.
Al Mezan calls upon the international community to double its efforts to ensure the release of Palestinian political prisoners.
Until this happens, the international community is called on to ensure that Israel upholds its obligations vis-à-vis the treatment of Palestinians under its custody and/or detention as provided for by international law and relevant human rights standards; including, inter alia, the 4th Geneva Convention, the ICCPR, CAT and the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment.
Al Mezan emphasizes that all of the aforementioned instruments place absolute prohibition of torture and set out a body of standards and limits as to the conditions under which prisoners can be kept.
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