Physicians for Human Rights calls for Amir's release from isolation
I never thought I would see the day that I would agree with something that Physicians for Human Rights had to say about Israel. That day has come. Physicians for Human Rights has called for the release of Yigal Amir from the isolation he has suffered for the last fifteen years. I could not agree more. "Psychological damage caused by isolation will manifest in a number of ways," a Physicians for Human Rights statement said, "including difficulty sleeping, depression, irrational fears, psychotic episodes such as visual and auditory hallucinations, episodes of paranoia, the experience of distortions in time and space, confusion and cognitive difficulties."The excuse for keeping Amir in isolation is just that. The real reason the State wants to keep him in isolation is vengeance for the murder of 'peace.' And a fear that if he were not in isolation, he might retain his sanity and start telling the truth.
The organization rejected the state's claims that Amir must remain in isolation because his life would be in danger if he was kept in contact with other prisoners in the general prison population.
"Physicians for Human Rights calls upon representatives of the state to study other ways of dealing with the prisoner that will protect his person and his health. The state's solutions must negatively affect as little as possible the physical and psychological health of prisoners, including Yigal Amir," the organization said.
If you're wondering how the yefei ha'nefesh are taking this, here's Haaretz. (For starters, while JPost's headline referred to Yigal Amir, Haaretz's referred to 'Rabin's assassin').
The far-right Orthodox Amir pleaded guilty to killing Rabin, as he had opposed the prime minister's efforts to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians.There's a Supreme Court hearing on Amir's request to leave his isolation on Monday. Israel Radio reports that the State said it would release Amir from isolation if it could find an appropriate cell mate (how about his brother?). Amir said he had unfettered access to a phone for the first nine years that he was in prison and never incited anyone.
PHR said that the Israel Prison Service, which has systematically opposed ending Amir's solitary confinement, is aware of the ramifications for a person's mental state caused by this treatment.
It noted that following its appeal with the Israeli human rights organization the Center for the Defense of the Individual, a joint panel from the Prison Service and the Defense Ministry wrote in 1996 that solitary confinement had deep psychological impact.
...
Arguing for Amir to remain in isolation, the state claims that Amir could incite other prisoners, and that entering the prison population would constitute a threat on his life.
If I haven't made it clear enough in the past, there are videos showing Amir shooting Rabin (which I have posted), but what you see in the videos is contradicted by the hospital report. I believe that any decent criminal lawyer could have at least gotten Amir off on a reduced charge. But no such lawyer would agree to take his case at the time.
Given what the Left did to Margalit Har Shefi just a few weeks ago, I would bet on them fighting tooth and nail to keep Amir in isolation. You can bet that they will claim that there is no appropriate cell mate - among other things.
Labels: Margalit Har Shefi, Physicians for Human Rights, Yigal Amir, Yitzchak Rabin
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:51 AM
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