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Dear friends,
In his book “White Nights,” Menachem Begin, former Prime Minister of Israel and commander of the Zionist paramilitary organization "Irgun" predating the State's establishment, described his interrogations in secret police facilities in the former Soviet Union: “And again comes a night without sleep, and again comes a night of interrogation. And again, and again… Night after night, for weeks and months, for unlimited time. A strange kind of fog is created in the prisoner’s mind: his soul is tired to death, his legs weak, and his only desire is to sleep, to sleep just a little, not to get up, to lie down, rest, and forget (…) I met prisoners who signed what they were asked to sign just in order to get what their interrogator promised them: uninterrupted sleep. Those who do not believe that it is possible to break a man in this manner – through constant hunger, total isolation, deprivation of sleep, endless nighttime interrogative “chats”, through scorn, cursing, threats, and promises – prove only that they have not known all these, with their devastating, destructive, and crushing effect.”
Like every year, International Human Rights Day is being marked in Israel and around the world on December 10. In honor of the day, we are proud to share with you PCATI’s annual information sheet. The sheet provides updated information about the number of complaints relating to torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of victims by the Israeli security forces, particularly the Israel Security Agency (ISA).
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The report paints an alarming picture, proving once again that torture takes place in Israel on a routine basis, and not enough is being done to stop it. The central finding of the information sheet is the depressing statistic that although over 1,400 complaints have been submitted since 2001 to the Inspector of Interrogee Complaints in the ISA regarding violence against interrogees, only three criminal investigations have been opened, and these did not lead to a single prosecution of any of those responsible. The other files were closed after a preliminary examination, even in cases in which there was conclusive and unequivocal evidence of the use of torture.
The information sheet focuses in particular on two cases that are being supervised by PCATI’s legal team. The first is the case of Att. Tarek Barghout, who was subjected to the harsh and dangerous practice of extreme sleep deprivation. Over a period of a month and a half, Tarek was interrogated for extended periods, the longest of which was 48 consecutive hours without sleep, while he was shackled. The second is the case of A., a young Palestinian woman who during interrogation was threatened, degraded, and sexually harassed in the so-called “VIP Room” at the ISA facilities, where interrogations take place in complete darkness.
How can torture in Israel be stopped? The information sheet presents several crucial demands: The enactment of a clear and explicit law prohibiting torture; the full audio and visual documentation of ISA interrogations; the execution of full and honest investigations into complaints of torture; and granting weight to forensic evaluations undertaken in accordance with the rules of the Istanbul Protocol, which has received international recognition as a professional and reliable tool for identifying and documenting instances of torture. As supporters of PCATI in Israel and around the world, your voice is also vital: continue to insist that in a democratic state, there is no room for torture, and that those who commit, order or approve torture must be held to account.
The reality in Israel is uninspiring as we mark International Human Rights Day 2022. But there are some grounds for cautious optimism. This week, we learned that the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Mr. Karim Khan, intends to visit the region over the coming year. In June this year, PCATI asked the Court to investigate the systemic use by the Israeli security system of physical and psychological torture against Palestinians, amounting to full-fledged war crimes. We hope that the State of Israel will cooperate with the Court’s investigation, and at the same time begin to take action by itself to uproot the torture committed in our names as citizens of Israel. The time has come to enact an explicit law banning torture, to undertake genuine investigations into complaints of torture, and to prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law. This is the only way that Israel can claim that its justice system is worthy of its name and that it does not require international intervention in order to ensure justice for torture victims.
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Simultaneously, PCATI continues to engage in advocacy nationally - also at the newly elected Knesset, which has already begun promoting anti-democratic legislative initiatives. Yesterday, I took part on behalf of PCATI in the hearing of the special committee discussing the bill to amend the Police Ordinance, which aims to subjugate the Israeli National Police to the orders of the political echelon – namely the far-right leader and intended next Minister of Internal Defense, Itamar Ben Gvir, who initiated the law. I presented our firm opposition to this piece of legislation, and warned of the imminent danger it poses specifically to minority groups in Israeli society and towards social activists and protesters, who already suffer disproportionately torture and inhumane, cruel or degrading treatment by Israel Police officers.
Watch here the proceedings of the committee (Hebrew only) >>
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Lastly, I would like to encourage you to support PCATI’s work by making a one-time or recurring donation. This will help us continue to represent victims of torture and institutionalized violence and redouble our efforts for a democratic Israel free of torture
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In my name and on behalf of all PCATI’s staff members – thank you!
Yours,
Tal Steiner
Executive Director, PCATI
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