On December 31, 2024, ACRI approached the Prison Service Commissioner and the Government's Legal Advisor following reports that since the outbreak of the war, whenever a security prisoner is escorted somewhere on prison grounds – for instance, to meetings with lawyers, transfers between wings, video conference hearings, or visits to the medical clinic– their eyes are covered until they reach their destination. According to reports, this applies to all Palestinian security prisoners; this practice is not applied to Jewish security prisoners and detainees.
In our appeal, we argued that the practice of blindfolding security prisoners is degrading and illegal, whose purpose is revenge and punishment. We asserted that there is not, and cannot be, any security purpose justifying the use of blindfolds. It severely and disproportionately violates the human rights of prisoners, the duty of prison authorities to ensure humane prison conditions, and the obligation to maintain equal standards for security and criminal prisoners in the absence of security considerations.
The Israel Prison Service rejected our arguments. In their response dated January 13, 2025, the Prison Service's Legal Advisor confirmed that there is indeed a directive for blindfolding all security prisoners, including minors, while being escorted through public areas in prisons, and claimed that this is not done for punishment but for security reasons, and that it is a reasonable and proportionate measure under the current circumstances.
ACRI’s petition, December 31, 2024 (Heb)
Israel Prison Service response, January 13, 2025 (Heb)