Reflecting on Palestinian Prisoners on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
June 26th, 2024
On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we draw urgent attention to the grave abuse and human rights violations experienced by Palestinians under Israeli detention. The UN-designated day commemorates the enforcement of the Convention against Torture (CAT), ratified by the Israeli occupying state in 1991—a mandate universally binding and non-derogable under international law. Canada has also ratified the CAT, and is obliged to uphold and promote its fundamental human rights principles both domestically and internationally. In other words, it is imperative for Canada to address Israel's human rights violations with respect to torture, advocate for adherence to international law, and ensure the protection Palestinian prisoners’ rights.
Recent alarming documentation reveals a sharp increase in the arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. As of June 2, 2024, the Israel Prison Service is detaining 9,112 Palestinians. Over one-third of these detainees are held in administrative detention without charge or trial. An additional 899 Palestinians from Gaza are detained under the so-called 'Unlawful Combatants Law'. Furthermore, thousands are detained at three sites: Sde Teiman, a military base in the Naqab/Negev, as well as Ofer prison and the Anatot military base in the West Bank. Here, detainees face appalling conditions, including systemic torture.
“Such disturbing crimes and cruel treatment by Israeli prisons normalize human rights abuses and go without accountability from the international community, including Canada,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada. “By any measure, torture strongly violates human dignity and contravenes the very essence of human rights principles missing from this issue,” added Ghayyur.
The environment within Israeli detention facilities is marked by reports of severe abuse, including the use of electric shocks, physical restraints leading to amputation, beatings, denial of necessities, and sexual violence, amongst other forms of abuse. These practices have been described by survivors and verified by independent international inquiries, demonstrating violations against both international humanitarian and human rights law.
The widespread and systematic nature of these abuses is compounded by a lack of accountability. The combination of high court rulings and enduring policies of impunity within the Israeli judicial system also contribute to the continuation of these abuses. Despite Israel's obligations under international law, there has been no effective action to investigate these deplorable crimes or prison conditions, or to provide justice to the victims. More than 40 Palestinians from Gaza have reportedly died in Israeli detention, most at Sde Teiman, with several others from the West Bank.
The UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has released a report concluding that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the form of torture (including sexualized torture) or inhuman and cruel treatment. In fact, the Commission concluded that sexual and gender-based violence is part of the “operating procedures” of the IDF, and that sexual abuse has been either “ordered or condoned” by Israeli authorities.
The historical context of Palestinian prisoners is deeply intertwined with broader policies of apartheid enforced by the Israeli state. Since 1967, thousands of Palestinians have been detained without charge, under administrative detention policies that systematically suppress and control the Palestinian population. This approach and the mistreatment within detention centres are part of a deliberate strategy to maintain dominance and enforce segregation of Palestinians.
Justice For All Canada joins civil society groups and coalitions to actively campaign for justice for Palestinian prisoners. We urge the Canadian government to hold Israeli officials accountable for the horrendous conditions of administrative detention, including torture and abusive treatment of prisoners.
We demand Canada’s policymakers to push for Israeli compliance with international legal standards. Israels should be pressured to treat all Palestinians who have been arrested or detained in a humane manner, providing reports on their state of health, and allowing visits from families, international humanitarian organizations, doctors and legal representation. On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Canada must consider sanctions to enforce these norms and put an end to the torture of Palestinian prisoners.
On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we draw urgent attention to the grave abuse and human rights violations experienced by Palestinians under Israeli detention. The UN-designated day commemorates the enforcement of the Convention against Torture (CAT), ratified by the Israeli occupying state in 1991—a mandate universally binding and non-derogable under international law. Canada has also ratified the CAT, and is obliged to uphold and promote its fundamental human rights principles both domestically and internationally. In other words, it is imperative for Canada to address Israel's human rights violations with respect to torture, advocate for adherence to international law, and ensure the protection Palestinian prisoners’ rights.
Recent alarming documentation reveals a sharp increase in the arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. As of June 2, 2024, the Israel Prison Service is detaining 9,112 Palestinians. Over one-third of these detainees are held in administrative detention without charge or trial. An additional 899 Palestinians from Gaza are detained under the so-called 'Unlawful Combatants Law'. Furthermore, thousands are detained at three sites: Sde Teiman, a military base in the Naqab/Negev, as well as Ofer prison and the Anatot military base in the West Bank. Here, detainees face appalling conditions, including systemic torture.
“Such disturbing crimes and cruel treatment by Israeli prisons normalize human rights abuses and go without accountability from the international community, including Canada,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada. “By any measure, torture strongly violates human dignity and contravenes the very essence of human rights principles missing from this issue,” added Ghayyur.
The environment within Israeli detention facilities is marked by reports of severe abuse, including the use of electric shocks, physical restraints leading to amputation, beatings, denial of necessities, and sexual violence, amongst other forms of abuse. These practices have been described by survivors and verified by independent international inquiries, demonstrating violations against both international humanitarian and human rights law.
The widespread and systematic nature of these abuses is compounded by a lack of accountability. The combination of high court rulings and enduring policies of impunity within the Israeli judicial system also contribute to the continuation of these abuses. Despite Israel's obligations under international law, there has been no effective action to investigate these deplorable crimes or prison conditions, or to provide justice to the victims. More than 40 Palestinians from Gaza have reportedly died in Israeli detention, most at Sde Teiman, with several others from the West Bank.
The UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has released a report concluding that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the form of torture (including sexualized torture) or inhuman and cruel treatment. In fact, the Commission concluded that sexual and gender-based violence is part of the “operating procedures” of the IDF, and that sexual abuse has been either “ordered or condoned” by Israeli authorities.
The historical context of Palestinian prisoners is deeply intertwined with broader policies of apartheid enforced by the Israeli state. Since 1967, thousands of Palestinians have been detained without charge, under administrative detention policies that systematically suppress and control the Palestinian population. This approach and the mistreatment within detention centres are part of a deliberate strategy to maintain dominance and enforce segregation of Palestinians.
Justice For All Canada joins civil society groups and coalitions to actively campaign for justice for Palestinian prisoners. We urge the Canadian government to hold Israeli officials accountable for the horrendous conditions of administrative detention, including torture and abusive treatment of prisoners.
We demand Canada’s policymakers to push for Israeli compliance with international legal standards. Israels should be pressured to treat all Palestinians who have been arrested or detained in a humane manner, providing reports on their state of health, and allowing visits from families, international humanitarian organizations, doctors and legal representation. On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Canada must consider sanctions to enforce these norms and put an end to the torture of Palestinian prisoners.