Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated on Tuesday that he intends to issue a presidential decree barring torture in Palestine. The statements of Abbas came following his meeting with the Palestinian Independent Committee for Citizens Rights and after receiving the annual report of the committee on Human Rights in Palestine in 2007.
The Palestinian Maan News Agency stated that the Gaza Program for Mental Health welcomed the statement of Abbas and considered it an important declaration which will ensure the rights of the Palestinian people.
The Program demanded Abbas to speed up the issuing of the decree and to act on ensuring that laws against torture are issued and implemented.
The Program submitted a draft on the issue for the Palestinian Legislative Council two years ago demanding the council to approve it to ensure that torture will not be practiced in Palestinian prisons.
The Program also called on all Palestinian security devices to respect human rights and bar all sorts of torture and to prosecute anyone who is involved in torture.
