Palestinian political prisoners recount stories of maltreatment by Israeli authorities
RAMALLAH, Dec 29, 2019 (WAFA) — Five Palestinian political prisoners who were recently detained by Israeli authorities have reportedly been subjected to various forms of maltreatment, including physical abuse and beating, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).
PPS said prisoner Mutasem Anwar Sheikha, who was recently detained by Israeli police in Jerusalem, was brutally assaulted by undercover police forces at Shuafat refugee camp in the city. For almost 30 days of interrogation, he would be acutely beaten up by interrogators at the Russian Gate compound in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, prisoners Abdul-Munem Natsheh, 17, and Osama Taha, 16, said they were also physically and verbally assaulted many times during interrogation at the Russian Compound. Taha told PPS that he was once attacked by a police dog while being taken to court.
Another prisoner, 17-year-old AbdulRahman Abu-Layla from Nablus, said undercover Israeli troops arrested him from his workplace in Acre before he was taken to Petah Tikva interrogation facility. There, he was placed in solitary confinement for 10 days, during which he would undergo long hours of interrogation while being handcuffed.
Another detainee, 16-year-old Aws Ra’ed Irsheid, who comes from the West Bank city of Jenin, told PPS attorney that he was brutally detained by Israeli soldiers who surreptitiously raided his home in middle of the night while he and all his family members were asleep. He was woken up by the soldiers and was beaten in front of family members before being taken out by the soldiers.
Human rights organizations have long denounced mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, including children, by Israeli forces.
According to a report by the Military Court Watch (MCW) based on testimonies from 127 children detained by Israel in 2016, 94 percent reported being hand tied, 81 percent of children reported being blindfolded or hooded, and 64 percent of children reported being subjected to various forms of physical abuse.
