Freed Palestinian prisoners face harassment

Less than a month since their release from Israeli prisons in a prisoner exchange program, freed Palestinian prisoners complain of continuous harassment at the hands of Israeli officials.

They are banned from traveling, summoned for investigations by Israeli authorities and have had their homes raided with threats of being re-arrested thrown at them.

The joy of freedom seems to be bittersweet.

Many of the released prisoners have expressed shock at the terms of the exchange deal which includes them appearing before Israeli security stations on a monthly basis. Under the terms of the deal, the freed detainees are banned from traveling and moving outside the districts. Israel could also re-arrest them under any alleged alibi.

Al Arabiya has been waiting outside the military prison of Awfar for a few hours to meet with the released prisoners who were unexpectedly summoned for investigation.

We watch as released prisoner Soumoud Karaja appears amidst barbed wire and metal gates after long hours spent in an investigation room with an Israeli intelligence officer.

"They threatened and said that they are keeping an eye on us. They said even though it happened, they never approved of the deal. They told me they would send me back to prison for the rest of my life if they felt I was a threat to Israel’s security," she said.

Soumoud is not the only freed prisoner to have been questioned or have her house raided.

Abdullah Abu Chalbak, who spent 20 years in an Israeli prison, also emerged from Awfar military camp after a lengthy and grueling interrogation. “The message was clear: the occupation persists and even though you are out of jail, you are still living in a big prison,” he said.


Original report: Abdul Hafiz Jaawan

Adaptation: Stanela Khalil

Voice: Noora Faraj

Speaker:

Soumoud Karaja - released prisoner