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SvennoJ on 30 July 2024
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Sde Teiman ‘torture’ one of ‘thousands of crimes’ in Israeli prisons: Palestinian prisoners group

The head of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, Abdullah al-Zaghari, has addressed reports of torture and sexual assault at Israel’s Sde Teiman detention camp, saying it represents “one of thousands of crimes” against Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

Al-Zaghari said in a statement on social media that Palestinian prisoners have recounted “killing, torture, rape, starvation, and humiliation” in Israeli prisons, describing their treatment as part of an “organised war of extermination against our people”.

The report from Sde Teiman led to the arrest of nine Israeli soldiers, but Al-Zaghari cautioned against treating it as an isolated incident that could be attributed to individual prison guards, noting that the actions were also reflected in statements from senior Israeli ministers such as Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society has “documented many testimonies” of similar crimes committed against Palestinians at several Israeli prisons, including, notably, Negev Prison, he added, renewing calls for an international investigation and an “immediate and urgent intervention to put an end to the crimes of torture”.



Israeli physicians say shut down ‘Sde Teiman torture facility’

Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) said the arrest of Israeli soldiers for the alleged abuse of Palestinian prisoners at the Sde Teiman detention facility “follows months of PHRI raising alarms”.

The advocacy group said the move shows that Israel’s military “can’t ignore crimes committed by soldiers against Palestinians in their custody”, including severe violence and sexual abuse.

The Israeli military said it had detained nine soldiers for questioning at the Sde Teiman facility on Monday, which was established to hold Palestinians arrested in Gaza since the start of Israel’s war on the territory.

“Mounting testimonies indicate these incidents are not isolated. They suggest systematic abuse and violence, and a blind eye to violations”, PHRI said in a series of posts on social media.

“The Sde Teiman torture facility must be shut down urgently, abuse across all prisons must end, and those responsible must be prosecuted,” the group added.