Palestinian lawyers and detainees revealed that the
Israeli Prison Authorities used the media to deceive the detainees and
grab confessions from them.
An interrogation teams which belongs to the Israeli security fabricated
a news broadcast taken from the Qatar based Al-Jazeera TV, and
broadcasted the death of one of the fighters of the brigades, instead
of the name of the fighter who was killed on that day besides Ihsan
Shawahneh, one of the resistance fighters in Tulkarem.
Detainee G. A, from Nablus, who collapsed after hearing about the death
of one of his friends, prison authority has him initially placed in a
room filled with collaborators who suggested to do a memorial to the
‘deceased fighter’.
Detainee G. A was asked to talk about the acts of the ‘martyr’ and his
activities, which was the way interrogators and Israeli security
managed to know everything about the fighter.
The words of J.A were used by the prosecution to build a case against
him after they failed to obtain these confessions during interrogation
and torture.
Israeli security also used newspapers to frame the detainees, after
adding sections to the papers containing memoriam of certain fighters
who are not actually dead.
Also, the Israeli security used fabricated radio newscasts in the same way.
Palestinian Journalists Union condemned the usage of fabricated media
to frame the detainees, which is considered a direct violation to the
international law, especially articles regarding the media.
Israeli Authorities uses illegal means to grab confessions from the
detainees, extreme torture, exposure to hot and cold water or air,
solitary in very small dirty cells for longs periods.
Detainees during interrogation are tied and blindfolded subjected to
different sorts of torture which also includes leaving them tied for 48
hours.
Several detainees were threatens to be killed, sexually harassed and
tortured in their sensitive body parts during interrogation.
Methods of torture that are used in Israeli detention centers include
physical and psychological torture, especially since Israeli law allows
interrogations for a period of 180 days.
Methods of torture and violations that are currently used in Israel,
– Sleep deprivation.
– Pressuring them in agent rooms.
– Preventing lawyers from visiting their clients (prisoners).
– Isolating prisoners.
– Practicing psychological torture on prisoners.
– Threatening prisoners by hurting them physically and by threatening
the safety of their families. Calling them bad names and spitting
insults.
– SHABH (position abuse).
– Depriving Palestinian detainees during the investigation period from:
* Contacting their families and lawyers.
* Getting a good meal.
* Notifying their families with their transfer and the place of detention.
* Their right to cleanliness and change of underwear.
One of the main challenges Palestinian attorneys face in dealing with
the cases of the detainees is the restriction on their movements, and
Israeli laws which prohibit Palestinian lawyer from practicing their
profession in Israeli military courts.
