Palestinian official condemns detention of pregnant woman who gave birth in prison
Dana Joudeh was reportedly held in administrative detention for six months and gave birth at Damon Prison, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.
Palestinian officials cited by IRNA condemned the reported detention of Dana Joudeh, who allegedly gave birth at Damon Prison after six months in administrative detention. They called for an investigation into her conditions and protection for her and her newborn.
TEHRAN — Lina al-Tawil, director of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Defense Center, condemned the detention of a pregnant Palestinian woman who gave birth at Damon Prison, describing the case as an extreme violation of her rights.
According to Iran’s IRNA news agency, al-Tawil said Dana Joudeh, 35, from the village of Iraq al-Tayeh near Nablus, gave birth to her daughter at the prison on Monday. She said Joudeh had been held in administrative detention for six months without charge or trial, endured pregnancy in prison and lacked adequate medical care.
Al-Tawil said Joudeh was expected to be released on Tuesday after her administrative detention order expired. She questioned why the woman had remained in custody until the final hours of her pregnancy instead of being allowed to give birth safely among her family.
She called on international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations bodies, to investigate Joudeh’s detention conditions and help ensure the safety of the mother and her newborn. She also urged monitoring of other Palestinian women detainees, particularly those who are pregnant or ill.
Hassan Abd Rabbo, a Palestinian prisoners’ affairs specialist cited by IRNA, said more than 90 Palestinian women were being held at Damon Prison and that Bushra al-Tawil was being held in solitary confinement at Ramleh Prison. He said Joudeh gave birth inside the prison without being released or transferred to a civilian hospital for necessary medical care.
Abd Rabbo held the Israeli authorities responsible for any consequences affecting Joudeh and her child, saying the detention conditions could harm her physical and mental health.
IRNA reported that Joudeh had been detained without trial under an administrative detention order since April 19, 2026. The allegations and descriptions in this report were made by Palestinian officials and prisoners’ affairs advocates cited by IRNA; the report did not include a response from Israeli authorities.