Jordanians in Israel are ‘only detainees deprived of family visits’

AMMAN — Jordanian prisoners in Israel are the only prisoners not allowed family visits, an activist said Sunday.

The media team supporting Jordanian prisoners in Israel, Fedaa, said that Jordanians imprisoned in Israel are in “extremely difficult” conditions, calling on the authorities to send medical teams in light of Israel’s “intentional” negligence of their medical conditions.

The condition of Mohammad Rimawi, who is being held at Rimon jail in Israel and suffers from familial Mediterranean fever, has significantly deteriorated due to the lack of medical attention, Fedaa member Shireen Nafe told The Jordan Times.

She added in a phone interview that families of all Jordanian prisoners in Israel demand arrangements for regular visits. 

While Akram Abu Zahrah was the latest to be freed after 16 years of imprisonment, Firas Nobani, who is facing a two-year-and-a-half sentence, is expected to be released “in months”.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities banned freed prisoners Mohammad Fuqaha and Munir Qasem from returning to Jordan, a matter that Fedaa urges the Jordanian government to address. 

There are currently 25 Jordanians in Israeli jails, including the youngest, 19-year-old Mohammad Mahdi, who was detained at the age of 16.

Six of the prisoners are facing life sentences, including Abdullah Barghouthi (67 life sentences), Marae Abu Saeedeh (11 life sentences), Munir Marae (5 life sentences) and Hisham Kaabi (4 life sentences), in addition to Rimawi and Hani Khamaiseh, each of whom is facing a life sentence.

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Jordanian engineer Thaer Hwaiti, who was detained by Israeli authorities last December while on his way to visit relatives, is yet to be formally charged, Nafe said.