PLO’s Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Committee stated yesterday that “all prisoners jailed by Israel were tortured,” including women, the elderly and children, Quds Press reported.
In a statement, Abdul-Naser Ferwana, Director of Studies and Documentation Department at the committee, said that Israeli torture aims to “harm prisoners physically and mentally”.
The statement, which marked the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, June 23, said: “Israel is the only state which legalized torture inside its prisons and protected its perpetrators from any legal measures.”
Today is International Day in Support of Victims of Torture#Palestinian #Torture victims in israeli jails Speak Out https://t.co/Hi9pipcBhQ
— Abbs Winston (@AbbsWinston) June 26, 2016
Ma’an reported: “Torture is an official Israeli policy as it is systematically practiced against the Palestinian prisoners. It is part of the daily life of the Palestinian and Arab prisoners inside Israeli jails. It is used whenever the Israelis want and it is practiced against prisoners of all ages.”
Ferwana reiterated that “100 percent of people who were imprisoned were tortured either verbally or physically”.
He also said that documented statistics show that 71 prisoners had been killed because of torture inside Israeli jails since 1967. In addition, he said, many died after a few months or years of their release from the effects of torture.
Addameer's statement on the occasion of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. https://t.co/LBaRC0afcj pic.twitter.com/2QPQRh4FtZ
— Addameer –الضمير (@Addameer) June 26, 2016
In 2015-2016, Addameer has documented continued cases of arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment during arrest as well as in Palestinian prisons, detention and intelligence centers.
These practices are in contravention of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as well as the Convention Against Torture, both of which the Palestinian Authority is a party.
Arrests have targeted university professors, students, journalists, teachers (teacher’s strike in February 2016) and civil society activists, reported Addameer.
Many others suffer from chronic diseases or disabilities due to the torture or mistreatment they suffered in jail.
(MEMO, PC, Addameer)
