Fahima wins battle to improve her jail conditions

The Prison Service and Tali Fahima's lawyer informed the Tel Aviv District Court Wednesday that they had reached an agreement on most of the demands made by Fahima regarding the conditions of her incarceration at Neve Tirza Prison.

According to the agreement, Fahima will be allowed to meet with her mother and her lawyer, Smadar Ben-Natan, without a grill and a sheet of plastic separating them. She will also be allowed to mix with other prisoners in the courtyard for two hours a day.

Until now, Fahima, who is on trial on charges including assistance to the enemy in war, delivery of information to the enemy, contact with a foreign agent and support for a terrorist organization, has been held in isolation.

As a security prisoner, she has not been allowed open meetings with her lawyer or mother, has been prohibited from talking to other prisoners in her bloc, and has not been allowed to use the phone.

Fahima, who has been in jail since August 9, 2004, has been remanded in custody until the end of the proceedings against her.

She appealed to the commander of Neve Tirza in January to allow her to mix with other prisoners, meet face to face with her mother and lawyer and also to talk to them on the phone.

Recently, the prison authorities informed Ben-Natan they would allow Fahima to meet her mother face-to-face two times, as well as a special Pessah holiday visit, and to mix with other prisoners in the courtyard for two hours a day.

Ben-Natan told The Jerusalem Post that the prison authorities would extend both privileges in the future.

As for telephone privileges, Ben-Natan said that the prison authorities had told her they would start allowing her to use the phone after the Pessah holiday. Formally, no decision was taken on this demand, and it will remain pending in court in the meantime.

Ben-Natan said she was pleased with the outcome of the petition and that the privileges came "better late than never."