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Israel removes prisoner privileges in bid to put pressure on Hamas

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The Israeli Cabinet voted in a meeting Sunday to deny Hamas prisoners privileges not required by law, such as education, entertainment and some visitation. The move, recommended by Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, is intended to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured in Gaza in 2006. The new policy will place strict limits on family visits and money transfers, as well as remove opportunities for prisoners to take high school and university classes. The new rules were among the recommendations of a commission established by Friedmann after talks for the release of Shalit failed earlier this month. Freidmann said prisoners will continue to receive visits from the Red Cross, unlike Shalit, who has been denied them since his capture. The Israel Prison Service has already begun to act on the recommendations of the commission. Earlier this month, Israeli forces arrested 12 Hamas leaders during raids in the West Bank after Israel and Hamas failed to reach an agreement on a prisoner exchange involving Shalit. Soon after Shalit's capture, Israel seized Hamas leaders including Palestinian Cabinet ministers and lawmakers. Prisoner exchange negotiations between Israel and Hamas have failed before, although Egypt has been attempting to mediate such negotiations since 2006.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 29, 2009 (boomark / email).