The Legacy of Tot al i t ar i an Regi mes

Tor t ur e
i n I s r ael i J ai l s
A report on torture in Israeli jails based on interviews
with former Palestinian prisoners and detainees
April 2013
Introduction
Israel is considered by both International
Human Rights organisations and media
polls as one of the worst countries
regarding human rights abuses, due to its
dreadful record of human rights violations.
Amnesty International and Middle East
Monitor issued various reports in which
they expressed concerns about the Israels
practices. A BBC World Service poll in
2007 revealed that Israel is perceived by
the majority of people as top country for
huvng u negutve nuence n the vord
and a more recent public poll carried out
in Norway and Germany circumscribed
Israel as a hostile entity. This negative
image of Israel is caused by its frequent
violations of international law since its
forced establishment in 1948.
Since the occupation of Palestine in 1948,
more than 800,000 Palestinians have
been imprisoned. From 1967 onwards,
over 700,000 Palestinians, %20 of the
population of the occupied West Bank
and Gaza Strip have been detained. This
number represents approximately %40
of the total male Palestinian population
in the Occupied Territories. International
law sets the foundation for humane and
fair treatment of prisoners, assuring that
prisoners are not humiliated or tortured.
Several countries, including Israel, deny
these laws and regulations and practice
different forms of humiliation and torture.
Palestinian prisoners and detainees are
exposed to unfair trials, administrative
detenton, sotury connement, und
deprived of seeing their families. In
addition, physical and psychological torture
is exerted by Israeli security services. This
report reveals the different methods used by
Israeli forces to torture Palestinian political
prisoners and is based on interviews with
former Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The hooded prisoner is made to sit down with their
arms tied to the back of a chair with their legs streched
out infront of them. This induces chronic back and
shoulder pain.
Shabh is a stress position where prisoners are made
to sit on a small chair with their head hooded and
hands tied behind their back. This position induces a
loss of sight, incredible pain and disorientation
Torture in Israeli Jails
2
Palestinian Prisoners:
A political issue
Detention and imprisonment became one
of the tools for Israeli forces to oppress the
Palestinian people calling for freedom and
self-determination. This led to never-ending
arrests campaigns that imprisoned hundreds
of thousands Palestinians over the past seven
decades. According to Addameer Detention
Report there were 4,812 Palestinian political
prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention
centres in February 2013, including 178
administrative detainees, 12 women and
219 children (31 under the age of 16).
UFree Network, established to defend the
rights of Palestinian prisoners and detainees,
mentioned in previous reports that there are
no juvenile prisons for Palestinians. As a
result, children often serve their sentences
in the same cells as adults. More than 6,000
Palestinian children have been detained
since 2000. In February 2013 there were
219 Palestinian prisoners and detainees
under 18, more than %10 of them being
under the age of 16. A large number of
Palestinian prisoners and detainees are
accused of executing acts of terrorism or
participating in such acts. However, those
prisoners were calling for freedom and
self-determination, but they did not select
terrorism as the appropriate strategy.
Living conditions in prisons
In addition to the arbitrary practice of
administrative detention, the restrictions
on family visits and the practice of torture,
Palestinian prisoners and detainees are
denied access to basic health services. Israeli
authorities refuse to provide the needed
medications to prisoners suffering various
health problems. On different occasions,
the prison authorities were reported to give
prisoners with chronic health disease solely
pain killers.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz,
a report issued by the Justice Ministrys Public
Deenders Cce reveued vdespreud
overcrowding, inadequate access to
medical care, poor hygienic conditions,
and excessive punitive measures in most
Israeli facilities. In a recent report by the
Independent Commission for Human Rights,
the organisation stated that they are gravely
concerned over the extreme deterioration of
the Palestinian prisoners conditions in the
Israeli prisons and detention centres
Torture in Israeli Jails
3
Torture in Israeli Jails
4
Binding the detainee in a painful position, degradation,
and threats
Israel uses both psychical and psychological
torture methods while interrogating
Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Recently, Arafat Shalsh Jaradat, 30, has been
murdered by Israeli intelligence (Mossad)
while he was under extreme torture in
Majdo prison facility. Jaradat has died due
to a heart attack because of heavy beating.
The torture methods and its duration vary
from one detainee to another, but their
overall goal is to intimidate prisoners and
seek for information that, in many cases,
does not exist. This report reveals the main
methods used by Israeli forces to torture
Palestinian political prisoners.
The methods of torture were obtained by
UFree through a series of interviews with
former Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
For the sake of clarity, the methods are
divided into two categories: physical and
psychological methods. However, many of
the methods used are a combination of both
physical and psychological torture.
Physical Methods
1. Repeatedly beating or kicking the prisoner
in different parts of the body (head, hands,
face, abdomen, back, genitalia), using
hands and/or metal tools. Sometimes the
prisoners hands were being tied to the
wall or to metal bars during the beatings.
Former prisoners also reported to have
been beaten deliberately on wounds and
injuries caused earlier.
2. Tying the prisoners hands and/or legs
together for a long period of time. Former
prisoners reported to have been tied to
the ceiling through their hands and legs.
Others have been tied and left in the rain/
cold weather for a long period of time.
3 . Shaking prisoners violently. This is being
done by investigators who change from
time to time.
The Prisoner is tied to restraints in the wall and is
made to stand for long periods of time. It is reported
by ex prisoners that they were severely beaten whilst
in this position.
Torture in Israeli Jails: Methods used
Torture in Israeli Jails
5
4. Forcing the prisoner to sit on a small
chair (chairs for kindergarten kids) for
long hours and sometimes days. This is
associated with covering the head with
a dirty plastic/clothing bag. While the
prisoner is in this position he is exposed
to very loud music and deprived from
sleeping.
5. Forcing the prisoner to remain standing
for a long period of time.
6. Forcing the prisoner to sleep on the
oor vthout muttress, uso durng vnter
times. Former prisoners also reported to
have been forced to sleep whilst sitting on
the oor.
7. Blindfolding a prisoner and dragging him/
her on the stairs.
8. Spraying gas in the face of a prisoner and
using electric shocks against them.
9. Pulling out the hair of the prisoner.
10. Cold water being poured on the prisoner
whilst asleep.
11. Suffocating prisoner by putting his head
in the water and telling him that he will
be drowned to death.
Shabh is a stress position where prisoners are made
to sit on a small chair with their head hooded and
hands tied behind their back. This position induces a
loss of sight, incredible pain and disorientation
Another stress position in which the prisoner is
hooded and made to lean against a wall this induces
dizziness and pain in the lower limbs.
Torture in Israeli Jails
6
Psychological Methods
1. Placing the prisoner on a chair with his
head covered whilst meanwhile drops of
water hit the head regularly.
2. Depriving the prisoner from food for
a long period of time or providing the
prisoner old or spoiled food.
3. Exposing the prisoner to loud music for a
long period of time.
4. Using military and policy dogs to frighten
the prisoners. Investigators threaten
prisoners the dogs will be unleashed and
will attack the prisoner.
5. Threatening the prisoner will be sexually
abused. Former prisoners reported to
have been forced to be nearly naked.
6. Speaking negatively about the prisoners
family members and/or threatening the
prisoner that their family members will
be caused harm. Some former prisoners
reported that they were threatened that
their wife would be sexually abused.
7. Depriving the prisoner from defecating or
urinating for a long period of time. Other
former prisoners reported being forced
to defecate or urinate in front of prison
inmates.
8. Telling the prisoner, wrongfully, that his
family will visit him today. Other former
prisoners were, wrongfully, informed
that one or more family members passed
away.
9. Spitting in the prisoners face.
10. Forcing the prisoner to verbally abuse
his/her religious and national symbols.
11. Jailing some of the relative of the prisoner
and torturing them in front of the prisoner.
Pouring hot water over the head: Very hot water is
poured over the prisoners head in order to scald it.
Torture in Israeli Jails
7
Legal Background
The treatment of Palestinian political
prisoners and detainees is a violation of
Articles 49 ,32 and 76 of the Fourth Geneva
Convention relating to the Protection of
Civilian Persons in Time of War. The use of
torture methods is not in line with Article
5 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (1948). According to Conor Foley
(University of Essex) and the Human Rights
Centre, torture is also prohibited in the
International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (1966), the European Convention
on Human Rights (1950), the American
Convention on Human Rights (1978) and
the African Charter on Human and Peoples
Rights (1981).
Additionally, the UN Convention Against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment
(1984), the European Convention for the
Prevention of Torture and Inhuman and
Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987),
the Inter-American Convention to Prevent
and Punish Torture (1985) reject the use of
torture methods.
Palestinians prisoners and detainees face the
arbitrary practice of administrative detention,
restrictions on family visits, the denial of
medical care and the practice of torture.
This report revealed the most frequently
mentioned methods of torture practiced by
Israeli forces against Palestinian prisoners
and detainees. The documented methods
were obtained through interviewing former
Palestinian prisoners and detainees and
violate international law. The international
community must meet its legal obligation
by putting pressure on Israel to abide by
international law and the treaties cited
above. UFree therefore recommends the
following:
1-Freezing the EU-Israeli relations until the
latter abides by international law.
2-United Nations and its Agencies must
expose Israeli crimes and act to save
the lives of Palestinian prisoners. Press
releases and condemnations are not
adequate any more, freezing Israeli
participation in the UN meetings are a
step in the right direction.
3-Palestinian Authority should freeze its
security contacts with Israel and take
action to stop its human rights violations.
4-Civil society organisations must engage
in exposing the atrocities perpetrated
by Israel. The BDS campaign can be the
cornerstone of any steps in this direction.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Documented and compiled by UFree
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Media Centre
UFree Network is an independent European-wide human rights network Set
up to defend the rights of Palestinian political prisoners and detainees
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