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ACRI

Release the Public Defender's Inspection Reports on Prison Conditions

On January 6, 2025, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel filed a Freedom of Information petition demanding the disclosure of reports written by official inspectors from the Public Defender's office regarding prison conditions in Israel from early October 2023 through the end of December 2024. These reports address critical human rights issues, such as living conditions, sanitary conditions, medical care, overcrowding, and more. The Ministry of Justice refused ACRI’s request, claiming that processing it would require an "unreasonable allocation of resources." 

  

Our petition argues that according to the Attorney General's guidelines, there is no restriction on publishing reports by official prison inspectors as long as classified sections are redacted, and that similar inspection reports have been released in the past in response to freedom of information requests. Because the requested information exists and is in the possession of the authorities, there is no "unreasonable" allocation of resources necessary to release it—and regardless, the standards of transparency and the protection of human rights outweigh any claims of administrative burdens. The petition emphasizes that these reports are essential for monitoring prison conditions and protecting prisoners' rights, and serve as a key tool for improving prison conditions. 

  

Administrative Petition 13406-01-25 The Association for Civil Rights v. Freedom of Information Commissioner at the Ministry of Justice (Heb) 

Attorney: Oded Feller 

The petition was written with the assistance of Yael Seidemann 

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