Baraa Odeh has reported to her attorney from prison that she has endured multiple physical assaults and strip searches.
Germany’s Berlin According to her family and attorney, a Palestinian worker for a state-funded development organization in Germany has been detained in Israel for almost a month, during which time she has endured beatings and other cruel and degrading treatment.
34-year-old Baraa Odeh, who is employed by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), was arrested on March 5 by Israeli border guards as she was on her way back to Ramallah following a work trip to Germany.
Since then, she has been placed in administrative custody for three months without being charged.
Since her imprisonment, Odeh has not been in direct communication with her family or spouse, a German national.
Her sister Shireen Odeh told Al Jazeera, “Our life is upside down,” and her family is really worried about her well-being.
We don’t do anything but think about her. Our lives have not been normal since they arrested her.
Speaking with her in prison, Odeh’s attorney, Mahmoud Hassan, claimed she had been physically abused and endured cruel treatment.
“The policewoman yelled at her as she conducted a strip search on her upon her arrival at Hasharon prison.” After being detained in a cell, a police officer that
Detainees at the location have reportedly stated that it is challenging to get clean clothes or medical attention. When detainees are relocated, guards are said to have handcuffed and blindfolded them, keeping them from falling asleep.
While Israel has frequently imprisoned and detained employees of Palestinian aid organizations, as well as occasionally UNRWA, it is uncommon for the Israeli army to place a Western organization employee, like the GIZ, under administrative custody.
Israel has dramatically increased the number of Palestinians it has arrested in the West Bank since the Israel-Palestine crisis flared up on October 7. The majority have been kept in administrative detention without being prosecuted or granted a fair trial. Administrative detention orders are frequently renewed, occasionally for a whole year.
The alarm has been raised by released inmates and prisoner rights organizations.
Germany is “critical” of solitary confinement:
Since the 1980s, one of the biggest international development organizations in the world, GIZ, has conducted operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. It focuses on problems including peacebuilding, governance, and economic growth. One of Israel’s closest allies, Germany provides the funding, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is in charge of it.
Following a private excursion, an employee of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH was taken into custody by Israeli security authorities. Following a hearing, security forces imposed a three-month administrative detention order. This order is, as far as we know, unrelated to her professional activity, according to a GIZ representative.
“GIZ is attempting to elucidate the background using every tool at its disposal. We also communicate often with the
Human rights organizations have denounced the Israeli government’s use of administrative detention and how they have handled Odeh. Even when a German consulate official paid Odeh a visit, questions regarding her safety and the absence of due process in her case still need to be answered.
Odeh has been employed by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) for ten years, and they are trying to support and explain the situation. The German government has stated that it is concerned about the use of administrative detention and that respecting human rights should always be the first priority.
The case of Odeh draws attention to the problems that international groups working in the area encounter as well as the more general issue of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian inmates. The need for transparency is growing as calls for justice do.
Updates on Israel’s attack in Gaza: A ground invasion of Rafah would result in a “bloodbath”
This is what took place today.
Here’s a brief summary of the key developments:
1. The WHO declares that if Israeli forces invade southern Rafah on foot, it will be a “bloodbath.”
2. Hamas declares that it is “determined to achieve an agreement” on Saturday and dispatches a delegation to Cairo, where the head of the CIA has already arrived.
3. Following almost 2,400 arrests of students during pro-Palestine demonstrations at US colleges, several universities are negotiating with students to prevent additional unrest.
4. As it contemplates granting arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders, the International Criminal Court wants a stop to threats of “retaliation.”
5. In the event that Israel strikes Rafah in southern Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen promise to step up their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Why is there a generational gap in the US regarding Israel’s Gaza War?
According to polls, a significant proportion of youth in the United States are supporting Palestinians and becoming more critical of Israel.
Since Israel’s founding in 1948, US administrations of all stripes have supported it. However, surveys indicate that public support for Israel in the US seems to be declining, particularly among youth.
