Human Rights Groups Report: Palestinians Tortured in Israeli Jails

PressTV - Study finds Palestinians tortured in Israeli jails:

"Rana Kamal, Press TV, al-Quds

It is these very images Raed Abu al-Hummus remembers of spending more than six years in an Israeli prison.

Raed is one of many Palestinians who have experienced excessive torture in Israeli prisons. Now, a new report reveals 90% of these prisoners being physically and mentally tortured by the Israeli security service are deprived from consulting with an attorney or their family before confessions are made.

The study, produced by the Israeli human rights organization, Public Committee Against Torture and Palestinian Prisoners' Society, has found that during some periods when prisoners are kept from meeting with their lawyers, Shin Bet, begins its interrogation. The report cites these cases as a an act of 'systematic violence' and torture.

Many Palestinian prisoners who have testified have claimed that the excessive torture and the psychological abuse were merely some tools to get the prisoners to confess to crimes they were accused of. Ironically enough, the prisoners were granted a visit to a lawyer, but only after they have agreed to confess to the crimes.

According to the study, these interrogations go against international and Israeli laws. Abdilal was sentenced to life in prison for what he calls political reasons, but was liberated following the Oslo Accords in 1993. He says Israel disregards international laws and follows its own principles when it comes to Palestinian prisoners.

The authors of the study have unfolded that between 70% and 90% of the detainees in the years 2005 to 2007 were forbidden to meet a lawyer in order to provide council and assistance prior to signing a confession. The average time prisoners were isolated from the outside world was 16.7 days. Shin Bet has refused to reveal the number of detainees who had no access to legal services.

Public Committee Against Torture has called for new rules on when prisoners can be denied access to a lawyer and for cameras to placed in interrogation facilities to monitor questioning- hoping that basic human right will prevail.

Press TV - study finds Palestinians tortured in Israeli jails



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