Issa Qaraqe’, head of the Detainees’ Committee at the Palestinian Authority, stated that detainee Raed Abdul-Salaam al-Ja’bari, 37, died after being severely and repeatedly tortured by Israeli interrogators.Qaraqe’ accused Israel of committing two main crimes against al-Ja’bari by alleging he hanged himself in his cell, and by trying to falsify and hide the leading cause of death, which is extreme and brutal torture.
Talking at a press conference from the mourning house of al-Ja’bari in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, Qaraqe’ said the autopsy, conducted at the forensic center in Abu Dis, near occupied Jerusalem, concluded that al-Ja’bari was tortured to death.
He said the autopsy proved that al-Ja’bari suffered brain hemorrhage, and that his body showed clear signs of torture, adding that Israeli claims which allege that the slain detainee “committed suicide by hanging himself” are false and evident fabrications, especially since his neck does not show any signs of hanging.
“The autopsy was supposed to be carried out Wednesday, but it was conducted today at the Abu Kabeer Forensic Center, while Dr. Saber al-‘Aloul, head of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, attended the autopsy but Israel prevented him from making any statements,’ Qaraqe’ said.
“After we received the body of al-Ja’bari, we moved him to the Forensic Center in Abu Dis. All reports clearly show al-Ja’bari was tortured to death; he was brutally and savagely tortured by the Israeli interrogators,’ he added. “The main cause of death is repeated blows to the head and face, leading to hemorrhage, eventually resulting in his death.
Raed Abdul-Salam al-Ja’bari died on September 9, 2014.
He worked as a car mechanic technician; he is a married father of five children.
He was first kidnapped and arrested by Israeli soldiers on July 26, 2014, after a traffic accident Israel alleged that, during which, he intentionally rammed a settler.
An Israeli court ordered his release, on an 8000 NIS bail, but the Israeli prosecution filed an appeal, keeping al-Ja’bari held at Ofer prison.
On September 3, he was moved to the Eshil Israeli prison, and was placed into solitary confinement. He was then moved to the Soroka Medical Center where he died, on Tuesday.
