Israel has de facto state policy' of organised torture, says UN report

"Israel has a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture, according to a new UN report covering the past two years, which also raised concerns about the impunity of Israeli security forces for war crimes. The UN committee on torture expressed deep concern over allegations of repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, waterboarding, use of prolonged stress positions [and] sexual violence."

"The report, published on Friday as part of the committee's regular monitoring of countries which have signed the UN convention against torture, also said Palestinian detainees were humiliated by being made to act like animals or being urinated on, were systematically denied medical care and subject to excessive use of restraints, in some cases resulting in amputation."

"The UN committee of 10 independent experts raised concern about the wholesale use of Israel's Unlawful Combatants Law to justify the prolonged detention without trial of thousands of Palestinian men, women and children. The latest figures published by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said that as of the end of September the Israel Prison Service was holding 3,474 Palestinians in administrative detention, meaning without trial."

A UN committee on torture expressed deep concern and alleged that Israel has a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture, raising concerns about impunity for Israeli security forces for war crimes. The committee documented allegations of repeated severe beatings, dog attacks, electrocution, waterboarding, prolonged stress positions, and sexual violence. Palestinian detainees were humiliated, denied medical care, and subjected to excessive restraints, in some cases resulting in amputation. The committee raised particular concern over the wholesale use of the Unlawful Combatants Law to justify prolonged detention without trial, noting thousands held in administrative detention. The committee highlighted that a high proportion of detained individuals are children, including some under age 12, who face solitary confinement restrictions and denial of education.

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