The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) appealed to humanitarian organizations, locally and internationally, to pressure the Israeli authorities to stop the violations and abuse carried against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and detention facilities, especially during interrogation.
The PPS issued a press release exposing violations and abuse conducted by Israeli soldiers and interrogators against female detainees; these acts of torture, and abuse, are direct violations of international law and the fourth Geneva convention.
A lawyer with the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Hanan Khateeb, said that she met with detainee "S.", who wished in remain anonymous in the public report.
S. was arrested on December 12, 2005, after soldiers broke into her house and searched it.
"They handcuffed me, blindfolded me, and kept telling me bad words while insulting and humiliating me", S .said, "They took me to an interrogation room and forced me to sit under the rain after tying my hands and legs to a chair, while I was only wearing my pajamas".
"They kept me on that chair for several hours, and when I told them that I needed to use the toilet they insisted that a soldier accompany me, he wanted to enter the toilet with me but I rejected and demanded they bring a female soldier", S stated, "The female soldier eventually accompanied me but ordered me to keep the door opened while I used the toilet".
Later on, S. was transferred to Hasharon Prison, where she was confined to solitary confinement for four days, and then transferred to Al Jalama prison.
Interrogation:
Directly after arriving at Al Jalama prison, soldiers interrogated S. for two to three hours, and on the next day they started "sessions of interrogations, where they took turns interrogating and abusing me", she added.
During interrogation, soldiers threatened to rape her if she did not confess, touching her body while she was tied to the chair. Her captors used the intimidation tactic of denying her feminine products unless she confessed to certain things.
"They also insulted me, and threatened to arrest my children and level our house. They told me that they would keep me imprisoned for a very long period, but if I confess to doing things I know I didn’t do, they would release me after six months".
Inhuman conditions
While S. was held in Hasharon facility, other female detainees gave her a Hijab "to cover her head", but she was forced to unveil her hair during interrogation.
"Soldiers were continuously trying to touch my hair, and body", she stated, "They brought a female soldier who was telling me that I should cooperate with them, and ‘enjoy the Israel freedom’, she also told me that she can bring me dresses, and some nose rings, they even asked me to sing, but I rejected all of their ‘offers’".
During interrogation, S. was barred from meeting with her lawyer, was not allowed to shower, and was repeatedly threatened to be "defamed" if she did not "cooperate" with them.
The PPS reported that the conditions and abuse against "S." is only a sample of the Israeli violations against the detainees.
Israeli prisons, interrogations centers and detention camps lack all fundamental equipment needed for daily living.
Israeli interrogators have been accused on multiple occasions of using torture methods that have been deemed illegal under international law, including sensory deprivation, as well as extreme physical and psychological torture and abuse.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society noted that these violations are being carried out while Israel, as a state, is known to the world as a ‘democracy’. Israeli law permits the use of torture during interrogation of Palestinian detainees, despite Israel’s having been chastised for these practices by both the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.
The PPS demanded the international community pressure Israel to comply with all international rules and regulations regarding the detainees and their rights, and to respect the articles of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
