Israeli guards 'humiliated inmates'

A group of female former Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails have accused prison guards of carrying out "humiliating" internal body searches in violation of Israel's prison code. In an exclusive report, former detainee Sabreen Abu Amara told Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh that she spent six years living in fear of intrusive and degrading treatment at the hands of Israeli guards. Abu Amara said the guards strip-searched female prisoners, sometimes forcing them to squat and undergo a thorough internal examination. One lawyer is now collecting evidence from 10 female prisoners who say they were strip-searched in an effort to lodge an official complaint. Dr. Mahmoud Saiwail, the director of a treatment and rehabilitation centre for victims of torture in Ramallah, said he believes the alleged treatment of the women constitutes a form of torture. "Usually victims of torture are reluctant to seek help from professionals," he said.