Palestinian Journalist Bushra al-Tawil Moved to Solitary Confinement After 46 Days
Translated & summarized from Al-Shams by baba
Israeli prison authorities moved Palestinian journalist Bushra al-Tawil to solitary confinement in Ohlei Tzion prison after 46 days in isolation. Prisoner advocacy groups condemned the move, calling it targeted harassment and a violation of international standards. They are calling for international intervention for her release. Al-Tawil, who has faced administrative detention for years, is the daughter of another administrative detainee.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Palestinian journalist Bushra al-Tawil was moved to solitary confinement after 46 consecutive days in Israeli prisons.
- Prisoner advocacy groups described her isolation as targeted harassment and a violation of international law.
- Her legal team was unable to visit her due to the transfer to Ohlei Tzion prison in Beersheba.
- The groups are calling for international intervention, including from the Red Cross, for her release.
- Al-Tawil has a history of administrative detention, as does her father, Jamal al-Tawil.
Israeli prison authorities have transferred administrative detainee and journalist Bushra al-Tawil, 33, from Nitzan prison to the solitary confinement unit at Ohlei Tzion prison in Beersheba. This move comes after she spent 46 consecutive days in isolation. Prisoner advocacy groups stated that al-Tawil, detained since February, has been moved between Damoun, Nitzan, and Ohlei Tzion prisons during her isolation period. They consider her continued isolation and transfers to be targeted harassment, preventing her legal team from visiting her. Lawyers for the Prisoners and Released Affairs Commission attempted to visit al-Tawil, but were informed of her transfer on the morning of the planned visit. The advocacy groups hold the Israeli Prison Service fully responsible for al-Tawil's safety and well-being, urging international bodies, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross, to intervene for her release and end her isolation. The groups highlighted that al-Tawil's case occurs amid a rise in the use of solitary confinement against detainees, noting that prison authorities sometimes move prisoners to isolation without clear reasons, denying them the right to know or contest accusations and exacerbating the psychological impact of isolation. According to the UN's Nelson Mandela Rules, holding a prisoner for 22 hours or more daily without meaningful human contact constitutes solitary confinement, while continuous isolation exceeding 15 days is considered prolonged solitary confinement, permissible only in exceptional circumstances for the shortest possible duration. The advocacy groups argue that al-Tawil's 46 days in isolation exceed the permissible limit for prolonged solitary confinement and violate international standards. They referenced the UN Committee Against Torture's 2025 report on Israel, which expressed concern over solitary confinement exceeding allowed periods and recommended a maximum of 15 consecutive days. Bushra al-Tawil has faced administrative detention for years and is the daughter of Jamal al-Tawil, also an administrative detainee who has spent years in Israeli prisons. The advocacy groups are calling for her release and the end of her isolation.
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