A chareidi prisoner in Ayalon Prisoner and is categorized by the Israel Prison Authority as an “Orthodox inmate” was compelled to spend Shabbos in a cell with a non-frum inmate. The television was constantly playing and continued to complain along with threatening to harm himself. He was moved to isolation.

Family members of the prisoner feel this represents abuse on the part of the prison and the prison authority. They explain that he is categorized as frum and receives badatz meals in line with regulations. However, prison officials’ nonetheless placed him in a cell with a non-frum inmate, leading to the problem on Shabbos. They insist this is unacceptable as it is an affront to his religious rights and entitlement to conduct a lifestyle in line with his beliefs.

The prisoner is a young inmate who was sentenced to a year in prison for involvement in altercations with Arabs. He was relocated to a different cell about a week and a half ago. All his requests to be placed with another Shabbos observant person have been rejected.

He was taken for an exam after threatening to harm himself. After the exam he refused to comply with instructions to return to the cell with the non-frum prisoner and sent to isolation for not obeying orders. Honenu has submitted an urgent petition to the prison authority to return the prisoner to an appropriate prison setting. Attorney Rechavia Filtch has sent a request to the warden of Ayalon Prison. He questions why a chareidi prisoner cannot receive the same rights as other prisoners and why he is suffering the abuse to which he is subjected.

Israel Prison Authority officials explain the prisoner was originally assigned to the prison’s Torah Wing but due to his unacceptable behavior he had to be moved to another arrangement, adding “He has no one to blame but himself” .

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)