More than two months after the High Court of Justice unanimously ruled that the state must resume Red Cross visits to security prisoners, the visits have still not resumed, according to a report in Haaretz.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel contacted Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, claiming that this constitutes contempt of the court ruling and demanding their urgent response.
In petitions filed against the Israel Prison Service’s policy, the High Court unanimously ruled that the state must resume Red Cross visits.
Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, Deputy President Noam Sohlberg, and Justice Daphne Barak-Erez ruled that the government’s decision not to permit the visits had no basis in Israeli legislation or international law and therefore must be annulled.
Despite Justice Daphne Barak-Erez’s ruling, last month the Israel Prison Service established new rules restricting Red Cross visits to security prisoners.
The procedure, which was established for a six-month period, permits a small and limited number of visits, subject to prior approval, an intelligence review, and additional restrictions.
Among other things, it was determined that the Red Cross would be permitted to conduct only one visit per quarter and that, prior to each visit, a list of only five prisoners eligible to receive visits must be submitted.
In addition, prisoners classified as “particularly dangerous," prisoners held in isolation, and prisoners who are under investigation will not be permitted to meet with Red Cross representatives.
It was further determined that each meeting with a prisoner will be limited to no more than half an hour, while the commander of the detention facility will have the authority to shorten the meeting.
The Red Cross has been criticized for failing to visit a single one of the 251 Israeli hostages who were abducted during the October 7 massacre during the years that the Hamas terrorist organization and for failing to pressure Hamas to allow any visits with the hostages.