photos by: Mostafa Alkharouf - https://www.instagram.com/moskharouf/

The undersigned human rights institutions consider with great seriousness the testimonies of the lawyers of the re-arrested prisoners who succeeded in liberating themselves from the Israeli “Gilboa” prison. They are: (Mahmoud and Muhammad Al-Ardah, Zakaria Al-Zubaidi, YacobQadri, Ayham Kammaji, Munadil Infaat ). According to the testimony of lawyers, the Israeli occupation forces assaulted them harshly from the moment of arrest, causing multiple bodily injuries, which necessitated hospitalizing some of them due to the difficult condition as a result of the use of unjustified violence and crimes of torture against them. They are also deprived of sleep, and interrogated after being completely stripped, according to the information provided so far, some of them have been threatened with death by interrogators, and their relatives have been arbitrarily arrested for the purposes of revenge.

There are also the practices aimed at breaking their resolve and will, and in clear violation of the provisions of international humanitarian law and international human rights law and their established principles related to persons deprived of liberty and the right not to be subjected to any forms of torture, humiliating, cruelty, and ill-treatment, in particular Article (5) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Articles (7, 9, 40) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Articles (12-32) of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949, and Articles (90-98) of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, and the Convention against All Forms of Torture and Other Forms of Cruel Treatment, or Degrading Treatment, and General Assembly Resolution No. (30/D/3452) of 1975 guaranteeing the protection of all persons from being subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The human rights organizations stress that the colonial occupation and the racist apartheid regime in itself is a crime, and escaping from its prisons is motivated by the desire for liberation and emancipation and out of national dignity as well as a moral duty, heroism and honor that are protected by international conventions and covenants, whether the Brussels Declaration of 1874 or the Hague Convention of 1907 or my both Third and Fourth Geneva conventions, which has followed the example of many democratic countries, in addition to criminalizing torture against all persons and at all times expressly prohibiting torture of prisoners/detainees who take their freedom from prisons in particular, and suffice with the punishment for escape that causes damage to property and lives, which would be more stressed as the existence of the entire occupation and its prisons is an ongoing crime.

It should be recalled that the continued detention itself contradicts the essence and explicitness of Article (118) of the Third Geneva Convention on the Release of Prisoners of War, which necessitated their release without delay, which places a special responsibility on the Palestinian parties that signed The Oslo Accords but failed to compel Israel, the occupying power, to carry out its minimum duties, as the occupying country picked up this omission and historical mistake by ignoring the issue of prisoners in the settlement negotiations, by turning the prisoners’ file into a pressure card and political blackmail, and transforming their immediate release from a legal duty to an international mandate imposed on the occupying power to release them according to their desire under the name of “goodwill gestures”, the harm of which is magnified by accepting the geographical, temporal, and partisan division of prisoners on the basis of character and “harm”, and accepting their division into prisoners of the West Bank, prisoners of the Gaza Strip, and prisoners of Jerusalem, prisoners of 1948, the Arab prisoners, the prisoners classified as “blood on their hands” and other miserable classifications.

While human rights institutions condemn in the strongest and most severe terms the complete disregard for all these treaties, agreements, and charters, by continuing “Israel”, the occupying power, to follow systematic procedures and long-term policies at the executive, legislative, and judicial levels that lead to a systematic violation of the rights of detainees and prisoners in Israeli prisons within a colonial vision, which extended, in part, to their right to physical integrity and freedom from torture, and their right to guarantees of justice and health care. Human rights organizations stress that the suffering of detainees and prisoners has prompted them to use their empty stomachs to engage in open hunger strikes in protest against the widespread repression practiced against them, of which the Israeli Prison Service is an active part.

Attention must be drawn to the care of the law, as "Israel", the occupying power, is the only country, along with the United States, that has officially legalized torture. In 1987, the Knesset approved the recommendations of the Landau Committee, and the recommendations of the Israeli officers and interrogators authorized the use of torture under the name of “physical pressure/enhanced interrogation,” while the Israeli Supreme Court issued Resolution No. (94/5100) in 1999, which confirmed the use special means of “physical pressure” in the event of an imminent security threat, to return in 2018 and expand this to include cases that do not constitute an imminent security threat, in a very clear confirmation of the integration of the pillars of the colonial system, including the legislative and judicial authorities.

While detainees and prisoners are subject to multiple and systematic methods of torture resulting from a policy of structural, legislative, practice and cultural violence against them, including ghosting, severe beatings, electric shocks, opening cold or very hot water with fluctuating air currents, sleep deprivation, suffocation, and waterboarding, burning of skin, shaking, that interrogators hold and shake the detainee regularly, vigorously, and very quickly until the detainee faints as a result of concussion, sleep deprivation, crucifixion of the detainee upside down, psychological torture using threats, solitary confinement, denial of visitation, and other brutal torture practices and that a number of prisoners and detainees did not survive to tell what happened, and those who survived were left with psychological trauma, physical pain, and permanent disabilities,

The human rights organizations stress that the Israeli colonial self’s view is degenerate, lofty, and above the law, and the policy of impunity, is an essential part of the continuation of these practices without regard, which requires confronting it firmly and sternly by bringing the criminals to justice and redressing the victims, and makes the international official silence a direct partner.

Based on the foregoing, the Palestinian and Arab human rights organizations, undersigned below, recommend urgently the following:

  1. The formation of an independent, impartial and honest international investigation committee of well-known competencies, to examine the circumstances of the arrest of the re-arrested prisoners in preparation for holding the perpetrators of violations accountable.
  2. Calling upon peoples in Arab countries, and Arab communities abroad to form a state of pressure and effective advocacy for prisoners and detainees in occupation prisons, by mobilizing in various fields and raising their cause through social media platforms, in support of them.
  3. Demanding the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfill their roles under the first common article in ensuring respect of the conventions, and transforming the legal duty under the conventions into actual conduct and practice, through maximum pressure on the occupying power for the purposes of accountability and deterrence.
  4. The necessity for the International Criminal Court, which has jurisdiction in the occupied Palestinian territory, to prosecute the perpetrators of the crime of torture and to expand the scope of responsibility for it to include anyone who contributes in any way to it and to benefit from the sworn testimony of Palestinian human rights institutions.
  5. Urging the Arab League and its various branches to play their role in supporting the prisoners and detainees, and activating their issues at the international level.
  6. The necessity of the UN special rapporteurs, headed by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, to play their active roles in highlighting the crimes of systematic torture that are practiced against Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and raising the issue on the widest scale in the corridors of the United Nations.
  7. The importance of following up on the conditions of prisoners and detainees and their families in all fields, and providing support and care for them from official and civil authorities, especially at the psychological, health, social, and legal levels.
  8. Promoting, supporting and activating the role of the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission, so that it plays a greater role in caring for the prisoners and detainees and responding to their needs, as it is the official Palestinian framework responsible for this, in addition to the role of the Palestinian Regular Bar Association and the Arab Lawyers Union in bringing Israeli war criminals to justice and the role of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate in exposing the practices of occupation.
  9. Enhancing the Palestinian diplomacy to shed light on the issue of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons in international forums, and work to mobilize international support and advocacy in the direction of preserving their human rights and stopping the systematic crimes of torture practiced against them.
  10. Calling on Palestinian, Arab, and international civil society organizations to play their roles in the field of monitoring and documentation and to carry out pressure and solidarity advocacy efforts, and to benefit from the membership of the coalitions in which they participate, with regard to the crimes of torture that prisoners and detainees are subjected to and pressure towards their release.
  11. Demanding the Human Rights Council at the United Nations to adopt the proposals of the Palestinian delegate in Geneva and to form a commission of inquiry into the violations against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons
  12. Demanding the International Committee of the Red Cross to assume its legal and humanitarian tasks and responsibilities and to play its role effectively in communicating with prisoners and detainees, supervising and controlling their conditions in prisons, and informing their families of their conditions.
  13. The traditional and modern Arab media shed light on the issue of prisoners and detainees on a permanent basis, in the context of mobilizing public opinion to rally around their issues.

The signatories:

  1. Coordination for Maghreb Human Rights Organizations (include 26 HR organizations from Morocco, Mauretania, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya)
  2. The Moroccan Coalition for Human Rights Bodies (includes 20 Moroccan human rights organizations)
  3. Libyan Solidarity Union
  4. General Union of Palestinian Jurists
  5. Jordanian Women's Union(JWU)
  6. The Jordan Federation of the independent Trade Unions
  7. The National Union of Tunisian Women
  8. The National Union of Palestinian NGOs (includes 320 institutions)
  9. The Federation of Women Action Committee
  10. Union des comités de femmes palestiniennes
  11. Tunisian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
  12. The Human Rights Coalition to Stop the Aggression, Lift the Siege, and Build Peace in Yemen (includes 10 organizations from ten Arab countries)
  13. The Academic Assembly for the support of Palestine-Lebanon
  14. Cultural Rally for Democracy / Iraq
  15. Women’s Cultural Assembly for Democracy / Iraq
  16.  NGOs Platform  (Tajamoh)/Lebanon
  17. The Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering-RDFL
  18. Jordan Coalition Against the Death Penalty
  19. Syrian Coalition Against the Death Penalty (SCODP)
  20. Iraqi Coalition Against the Death Penalt
  21. The Iraqi Alliance for Human Rights Organizations (includes 55 organizations)
  22. The Arab Coalition against the Death Penalty
  23. Syrian Feminist Alliance to activate Security Council Resolution 1325
  24. Yemeni Coalition Against the Death Penalty
  25. Ibn Rushd Association for Development and Democracy / Iraq
  26. Association féministe Irtiqa/ Tunisie
  27. Association des amis de la vie pour le contrôle des drogues/Palestine
  28. Friends of the Disabled Association-Lebanon
  29. Association ACT pour les études et le règlement alternatif des différends / Palestine
  30. The Jordan Society for Human Rights
  31. Cultural Academics Association/ Palestine
  32. Al-Amal Charitable Society for the Deaf/ Palestine
  33. Jordanian Association for Political Science
  34. Rescue Association for Development/ Palestine
  35. Bahrain Human Rights Society
  36. Civil Solidarity Association / Tunis
  37. Community Development Association for Thought and Culture / Palestine
  38. Association for Development and Strategic Studies in Medina / Tunisia /
  39. Association Tunisienne de l’Action Culturelle
  40. Tunisian Association of Democratic Women
  41. Tunisian Association for Support Minority . (TASM)
  42. Jordanian Jurists Association / Jordan
  43. Old Hebron Association for Relief and Development / Palestine
  44. Working Women Association / Jordan
  45. Association of the International Cultural Network for Palestine
  46. Bahraini Transparency Society
  47. Arab Association for Academic Freedoms
  48. Society for the care of the environment and society / Palestine
  49. Palestinian Society for Chronic Diseases and Child Care/ Palestine
  50. Palestinian Association for Drug Control
  51. Libyan Society for Human Rights and Scientific Research/ Libya
  52. Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development PWWSD”
  53. Association of the Cultural Center for Child Development/ Palestine
  54. The Egyptian Constitutional and Legal Association for Human Rights/ Egypt
  55. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights
  56. The Moroccan Association for Women Progressive
  57. Mobile Library Association for Nonviolence and Peace / Palestine
  58. Association of the Economic and Social Forum for Women / Jordan
  59. The association Citizenship, Development, Cultures & Migrations Des Deux Rives (C.D.C.M.I.R.)
  60. The Mauritanian Association for the Promotion of Rights
  61. ALMizan Association for Development and Human Rights/Iraq
  62. Social Relief Society for Women Development / Palestine
  63. Association of tunisian women for search and development
  64. Arab Women Organization-Jordan
  65. The National Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms/Egypt
  66. Family and Child Hope Association/ Tunisia
  67. Omy Association for Rights and Development/Egypt
  68. Ana Insan Association for the Rights of the Disabled/ Jordan
  69. Association of Parents and Friends of the Handicapped / Tunisia
  70. Seeds Association for Development and Culture/ Palestine
  71. Rural Women Development Association/ Palestine
  72. Jothor Society for Human Rights-Jordan
  73. Association Bridges Citizenship / Tunisia
  74. Jose Marti Association for Arab-Latin American Solidarity
  75. Diyar Al-Ezz Association for Rights and Freedoms / Jordan
  76. Rachel Corrie Association for Solidarity Among Peoples
  77. Rasid Association for Human Rights/ Lebanon
  78. Roaa Women Association-Jordan
  79. Shamoua Association for the Protection of Human Rights/ Egypt
  80. Egypt Workers Association for Development and Human Rights/ Egypt
  81. Association of the Jordanian Women's Solidarity Institute
  82. Women Development Forum Association / Egypt
  83. Amman Society Forum for Human Rights
  84. Women Association of Modern Tunisia / Tunisia
  85. Association Nachaz-Dissonances Tunisia
  86. The International campaign against the Israeli occupation and annexation
  87. Tunisian League for Tolerance
  88. The Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights
  89. The Algerian League for Defense Human Rights
  90. The Lebanese Democratic Jurists League
  91. Arab League for Arts and Creativity/ Tunisia
  92. Association of Free Tunisian Writers
  93. Syrian Women Association / Syria/
  94. Association of Women Heads of Families/Mauritania
  95. Iraqi League for Human Rights Trainers
  96. Rashid For Integrity and Transparency/ Jordan
  97. Freedom Pioneers for Integrity and Human Rights Training / Jordan
  98. The Jordanian Network for Human Rights (includes 10 human rights organizations)
  99. The Jordanian Network for Election Integrity
  100. Election Network in the Arab Region
  101. The Women’s Defense Network in Syria (includes 57 Syrian women’s organizations)
  102. Independent Journalists Network/Sudan
  103. The Arab Human Rights Trainers Network
  104. Arab Women’s Legal Network 
  105. Volunteer Network for Development and Human Rights / Egypt
  106. Women's Network for Women Support/ Jordan
  107. Women’s Peace and Security Network (Yemen)
  108. The Syrian National Network for Civil Peace and Community Safety.
  109. Arab Federation for Democracy
  110. Islamic Team for Peace / Iraq
  111. The Syrian Federation of Human Rights Organizations and Bodies
  112. Arab Commission for Human Rights
  113. The Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria (Al Rased).
  114. Follow-up Committee to Support the Issue of Lebanese Detainees in Israeli Prisons/Lebanon
  115. The Vigilance Committee for Democracy in Tunisia / Belgium
  116. The Committee for the Respect of Freedoms and Human Rights in Tunisia
  117. Palestinian Initiative to Deepen Global Dialogue and Democracy-MIFTAH
  118. Yemeni Council for Rights and Freedoms / Yemen
  119. Lebanese Council of Women (includes 150 organization)
  120. Law Group for Human Rights / Mizan (Jordan)
  121. Lawyers for Justice /Yemen
  122. International Observatory for Documentation of Human Rights Violations/ Argentina
  123. Arab World Observatory for Democracy and Elections
  124. Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS"/Palestine
  125. Psycho Social Counseling Center For Women/Palestine
  126. Arab Women Media Center / Jordan
  127. Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture-Lebanon
  128. Center for Applied Educational Studies - Jerusalem / Palestine
  129. Women's  Studies Center/ Palestine
  130. Center for the Defense of Freedoms and Civil Rights "Hurriyat" / Palestine
  131. International Center for the Promotion of Rights and Freedoms - Swiss Association
  132. The Democratic Center for Studies and Development/ Palestine
  133. Center for Democracy and Community Development - Jerusalem / Palestine
  134. Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Legal Profession and the Judiciary "Musawa"
  135. Palestinian Centre for Peace and Democracy PCPD

 

  1. The Palestinian Center for Democratic Dialogue and Political Development
  2. Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution/Palestine
  3. Phenix Center for Economics & Informatics Studies/Jordan
  4. Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counselling/Palestine
  5. Excellence Consulting Center for Development / Bahrain
  6. Tunis Centre for Press Freedom
  7. Jothor Center for Human Rights
  8. Center for the Protection and Freedom of Journalists/ Jordan
  9. Center for Gender Studies - Gender / Sudan
  10. Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Studies
  11. Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)
  12. Word Center for Human rights Studies/Egypt
  13. Metro Center for Defending the Rights of Journalists/ Iraq
  14. Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)
  15. The Egyptian Democratic Institute for Awareness of Constitutional and Legal Rights / Egypt
  16. Women's Leadership Institute / Iraq
  17. Humanitarian Forum for Women's Rights/ Jordan
  18. The Syrian Platform for Non-Governmental Organizations (SPNGO)
  19. African Election Observation Forum/Morocco
  20. Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
  21. Renewal Forum for Citizen and Progressive Thought/ Tunisia
  22. Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights (Yemen)
  23. Sudanese National Civil Forum(includes 54 civil society organizations) / Sudan
  24. Tunisian Forum for Youth Empowerment
  25. Libyan Academic Organization
  26. The Tunisian Organization against Torture
  27. Gender Studies and Information Organization / Iraq
  28. Organization for the Defense of Human Rights in Iraq
  29. Organization for the Defense of Prisoners of Conscience in Syria - Rawanga
  30. International Organization for Human Rights and International Law / Norway
  31. The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria
  32. The Kurdish Organization for Human Rights in Syria (DAD)
  33. Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
  34. Moroccan Organization for Human Rights
  35. Mauritanian Organization for Rights and Freedoms / Mauritania
  36. Al Mouel Organization for Rights and Development / Yemen
  37. National Organization of Amazonas / Libya
  38. National Organization for Human Rights in Syria
  39. Yemeni Organization for Humanitarian Action / Yemen
  40. Amal Al Jamaher Organization for Human Development/ Iraq
  41. The Right of Return Organization 194/ Palestine
  42. Human Rights Organization in Syria- Maf
  43. Hammurabi Organization for Monitoring Democracy and Human Rights / Iraq
  44. Sawah Organization for Human Rights -Iraq
  45. Desert Youth Organization for Development and Human Rights / Libya
  46. The Organization of the Martyr of Freedom Nabeel Barkati: Memory and Fidelity
  47. Yemeni Organization for Defense Rights and Democratic Freedoms/Yemen
  48. The Middle East Foundation for Development and Human Rights (Yemen)
  49. Martyr Abu Jihad Al-Wazir Foundation for Persons with Disabilities/ Palestine
  50. Addameer Foundation for Human Rights/ Palestine
  51. ADDAMEER-Prisoner support and human rights association/Palestine
  52. Justice and Citizenship Foundation for Human Rights/ Egypt
  53. The Arab Foundation to support Civil Society and Human Rights/Egypt
  54. The Egyptian Foundation for the Advancement of Children's Rights
  55. Future Partners Foundation for Development and Human Rights - Yemen
  56. Shabad Foundation for Women Empowerment and Sustainable Development / Iraq
  57. Amel Association International
  58. Justice Foundation for Human Rights / Yemen
  59. Mada Foundation for Human Rights / Iraq
  60. Dialogue Forum Foundation for Development and Human Rights / Egyp
  61. National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists
  62. The National Commission for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law / Palestine
  63. The International Commission for Supporting the Rights of the Palestinian People
  64. The Palestinian Authority for PhD holders in the civil service