25, February
2016 Israeli Shin Bet
guilty of Torture
A new report
by two Israeli human rights groups, B’Tselem and HaMoked, accuses the Israeli
internal security agency, Shin Net of appalling treatment of Palestinian
prisoners at the Shikma interrogation facility.
Dozens of prisoners are exposed to extreme heat and cold, deprived of
sleep, spat on, put in stress positions causing extreme pain and given
sub-standard food. Many were denied shower facilities for days or weeks at a
time. The report also highlighted the complicit nature of other security
branches such as the Israeli prison system IPS), which turns a blind eye to
these abhorrent practices.
The report
concludes that "The combination of conditions both in and outside the
interrogation room constitutes abuse and inhuman, degrading treatment, at times
even amounting to torture." By its actions Shin Bet has violated a Supreme
Court injunction banning torture. The IPS purpose is to break a prisoner’s
spirit and military judges invariably rubber stamp motions for remand in
custody.
This
dovetails with statement by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Daniel Shapiro, in
which he accused Israel of the abominable treatment of Palestinians. He accuses
Israel “having two standards for adherence to the rule of law in the West
Bank—one for Jews and one for Palestinians. He added "Too many attacks on
Palestinians lack a vigorous investigation or response by Israeli authorities.
Too much vigilantism goes unchecked. And at times there seem to be two
standards of adherence to the rule of law—one for Israelis and another for
Palestinians."
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