Israeli rights group, Betselem, says government torturing Palestinian prisoners
- A report entitled ‘Welcome to Hell’ contains testimonies from 55 ex-Palestinian prisoners, with some describing severe abuse and violence
The Israeli human rights organisation Betselem has accused Israel of systematically torturing Palestinian prisoners in its prisons.
A report released on Tuesday entitled “Welcome to Hell” contains testimonies from 55 ex-Palestinian prisoners the group interviewed. Some describe severe abuse and violence.
More than 9,600 Palestinians were recently held in Israeli prisons, around half of them without official charges, the report said.
The Israeli military said it is currently investigating allegations of serious sexual abuse of a Palestinian militant by soldiers in the Sde Teiman military camp in southern Israel.
The UN Human Rights Office recently announced that at least 53 people had died in Israeli custody.
“The testimonies presented in this report provide an account of how Israeli prison facilities have been turned into a network of torture camps,” the report said.
The report said “such spaces, in which every inmate is intentionally condemned to severe, relentless pain and suffering, operate as de facto torture camps.