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News Updates Monday, August 18, 2003 Av 20, 5763 Israel Time: 04:02 (GMT+3) `Tourture in Israel has again become routine' By Moshe Reinfeld A report released yesterday by the Public Committee Against Torture claims that the use of torture in the interrogation of Palestinian suspects has increased significantly over the past two years. Hundreds of Palestinians were subject to Shin Bet security service interrogations defined as torture, inhumane or humiliating during each of the first six months of the year, compared to dozens in September 2001, the human rights group said. The abuse of Palestinian suspects has worsened and can justifiably be termed torture under criteria established by international law, according to the report. Moreover, such use of torture in interrogation violates a ruling reached by Israel's High Court in 1999. "Torture in Israel has once again become routine," the report's writers conclude. They charge that Israeli authorities such as the High Court and attorney general, which are supposed to monitor the Shin Bet and guarantee that its interrogation procedures conform with the law, have failed to discharge such responsibility. Rather than supervising the Shin Bet, these authorities have simply rubber stamped the security service's decisions. In past months, the High Court rejected all 124 petitions submitted by the committee demanding that Palestinian suspects be allowed to confer with their attorneys, the report notes. Also, the report's writers claim, the State Prosecutor's Office entrusts a Shin Bet official to review complaints lodged by Palestinian detainees; therefore, it is no surprise that no Shin Bet interrogator has been found guilty of torturing a suspect "without cause." The rights group accuses the Shin Bet of using a variety of violent interrogation methods, including hitting, slapping and kicking suspects; stepping on handcuffs; forcing the suspect to bend in a painful position; and shaking suspects. Other illegal measures taken against suspects include sleep deprivation, threats and humiliation, exposure to extreme cold or heat and isolation in inhumane confinement. Of the 48 detainees who gave statements to the committee's lawyers during the first four months of the year, 58% claimed they had been victimized by direct violence; 52% complained of sleep deprivation; and 90% said their hands had been tied behind their backs for prolonged periods. The report denounces what it regards as a moral decline in Israel and consistent violation of democratic norms, calling on the government to comply fully with international laws prohibiting torture and inhumane treatment of suspects. A spokesman for Israel's courts last night rejected the report's findings. After a petition demanding the right to confer with counsel is filed, High Court judges require Shin Bet officials to furnish detailed reasons justifying their decision to deny a suspect's request to confer with an attorney, the spokesman said, adding that the prevention of a right to counsel does not mean that interrogators use torture. © Copyright 2003 Haaretz. All rights reserved www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
