Israel must uphold obligation to prevent torture

Israel must uphold obligation to prevent torture and investigate claims over Samer Al-A’rbeed, say UN rights experts

GENEVA (18 October 2019) – Israel must immediately investigate allegations that a Palestinian man, Samer Al-A’rbeed, was tortured in custody, say UN human rights experts*.

According to information received by the experts, Israeli security forces arrested Mr. Al-Arbeed outside his workplace in Ramallah on 25 September 2019. He was detained on suspicion of involvement in a bomb explosion that took place near the settlement of Dolev in the occupied West Bank in August 2019. A 17-year-old Israeli girl was killed and her brother and father were injured.

“We are gravely concerned that Mr. Al-Arbeed has suffered torture and ill-treatment in the course of being interrogated and we call on the State of Israel to ensure a prompt and impartial criminal investigation,” the experts said.

Mr. Al-Arbeed was admitted to hospital in a critical condition two days after his arrest, with several broken ribs, marks on his body and acute kidney failure. He is still in hospital and is dependent on kidney dialysis. He has also been banned from meeting his lawyer.

“We also urge Israel to revise its laws and practices and bring them into line with its international obligations prohibiting torture in absolute terms. The ban protects everyone, including suspects who are alleged to have committed serious offences.”

“We are very concerned about serious gaps in Israel’s laws and practices that may be in violation of an absolute prohibition of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including through allowing the use of so called ‘special interrogation measures’,” the experts said.

The prohibition of torture is absolute under international law and can therefore never be justified.

“We call on Israel to review its laws, policies and practices and bring them into line with its obligations under international law, particularly under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which were ratified by Israel in 1993,” the experts said.

ENDS

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