According to study by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), up to 90% of Palestinian prisoners interrogated by the Israeli Shin Bet security team are not allowed to consult with their lawyers, a right guaranteed by international The Shin Bet claims it can refuse legal consultation to some prisoners in rare cases, but the high rate of refusal may point to different concerns, according to the study’s author, Dr. Maya Rosenfeld.
The PCATI study points to widespread use of illegal interrogation methods such as sleep deprivation, threats of violence, solitary confinement in unsanitary conditions, and tying prisoners to chairs with their hands behind their backs. The Shin Bet will not provide data of its own.
Of the 11,970 detained Palestinians who have been interrogated by the Shin Bet, between 8,379 (70%) and 10,773 (90%) are refused the right to legal counsel, according to the PCATI study. The results of prolonged interrogation and imprisonment without legal counsel include false confessions as well as physical and psychological abuse and other human rights violationsز
