ADC Action Alert:
Please Support Email Day of Action to Close Israel‘s Khiam Prison Camp
in Lebanon
Thursday, October 28 has been named THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR CLOSING
DOWN KHIAM DETENTION CAMP (KDC) run by Israeli occupation forces in
southern Lebanon.
The Follow-up Committee for the Support of the Lebanese Detainees in the
Israeli Prisons has asked all people of conscience to join in the
international day of action to close Khiam Prison Camp, and ADC
encourages everyone to send an email message of protest to the State
Department urging them to ensure that the Khiam Prison Camp is closed
and that Israel abides by its obligation to withdraw from Lebanon under
UN Security Council Resolution 425.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Please contact:
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
write to her at:
2261 C St.., NW
Washington, DC 20520
or fax:
(202) 736-7720
or E-mail:
The Follow-up Committee for the Support of the Lebanese Detainees in the
Israeli Prisons writes that:
The Detention Camp of Khiam has become the symbol for violation of human
rights in the world. It is the most brutal, outrageous and isolated
detention camp in the whole world. It a prison that obeys to no law or
control and Israel is detaining more than 144 hostages most of them are
children, students, elderly people journalists, farmers. They have been
hostages without any accusations or trials for more than 15 years.
Fourteen captives have already died under torture. During
investigation, the detainee faces electrical shocks. Many of them suffer
from sight defects, amnesia, stomachaches and heart failures.
Despite these atrocities, brutal and inhuman treatment, and despite the
deterioration of the health condition of the majority of detainees, and
despite the danger that is threatening the lives of most of them, and
despite all these blatant violation to the Declaration of human rights
and all international treaties, Israel did not allow any international
investigation mission or any legal organization or even press media to
enter the camp since it was established in 1985.
The Khiam Detention Camp has been isolated and closed before any
international humanitarian organization only to hide the traces of
crimes and atrocities that are inflicted to the detainees. What is
taking place within the walls of that Camp may not be conceived or
believed by any human mind and could never be believed to committed by
a human being not even an animal.
The Israeli Chabak who is in charge of supervising and training the
warden finds pleasure in torturing the detainees. This is why Israel has
kept this Camp closed before any humanitarian organization and denied
access to lawyers and only recently it has admitted that it was
responsible of the Camp. And for the same reason Israel has prevented on
11 August 1997, the two members of the Amnesty International Josée
Lambert and Serge Tipidoux from entering the Khiam Camp so they will not
discover the atrocities or relate the story of Suleiman Ramadan whose
leg was amputated in the camp, or the death of Haytham Dabaja, Assad
Bazzi, Hussein Ali Mahmoud because of torture.
Israel denied this access so they will not tell the world that Israel
has abducted kids and teenagers of 14 and 16 years old and incarcerated
them with their parents.
The information provided confirmed that the health condition of several
detainees has deteriorated and many of them were transferred to
Marjayoun Hospital and the Israeli hospitals. for medical treatment.
Several of them need to undergo surgery for ulcer or open heart but
Israel is refusing to do so.
Considering that the abduction of children, students and elderly people
has escalated lately reaching the number of 23 prisoners from the
village of Ayta Al-Chaab only since 15 July 1999, not to mention the
abduction of the journalist of Cosette Ibrahim on the second of
September 1999 with some youngsters of the village of Rmeyche,
And considering that abusive Israeli practices from arrest to abduction
against the people of the occupied territories has escalated recently,
and the health condition of the detained has been in deterioration more
and more in Khiam Detention Camp,
Considering all this and for the sake of saving the lives of the
detainees from this hell,
We appeal the world out loud to take part in the 28 of October, the
International Day for Closing Down Khiam Detention Camp, to call for
closing down this camp and to condemn the Israeli officers who are
responsible for supervising the camp and training wardens on new methods
of investigation and tortures.
We appeal and urge the world to take part in the biggest international
movement to express its objection against what is going on in that Camp
and to close it down or at least to send and international investigation
committee to the camp.
For more information on the Khiam Prison Camp see the website of The
Follow-up Committee for the Support of the Lebanese Detainees in the
Israeli Prisons at