The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, Marking UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture: Statement on the Continuation of Torture and Ill Treatment and on the Abuse of Detainees
The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) reminds the public and Governments in Europe and the Middle Eastof the absolute prohibition on torture and ill treatment. We call on all Statesand Official National Parties in the Region to, if they are signatories of theUN Convention Against Torture to reconfirm their support of the Convention andif they are not to sign and ratify the Convention. We similarly call on allparties to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and toimplement open and transparent detention and interrogation center monitoringmechanism in their jurisdictions.
We remind all parties holding detainees, whether they are suspected ofparticipation in terrorist activities, young people accused of throwing stones,demonstrators or a single soldier held incommunicado for years that theirrights must be scrupulously guarded.
We remain concerned with the ongoing use of torture and ill treatmentagainst detainees in our region and the abject impunity that facilitates it. In recent months we have witnessed legitimateexpressions of protest on the part of civilians in our region and thesubsequent illegitimate use of excessive and deadly force against these civilians. Civilian demonstrators continue to faceviolence by the security forces they continue to be arrested and to facephysical and psychological abuse in detention, including torture and illtreatment. The arrest of securitysuspects in our region continues and they continue to be held incommunicado andto face torture or ill treatment.
- We endorse the OMCT International Campaign for the Absolute Prohibition of Torture and Ill-treatment ‘Nothing canjustify torture under any circumstances."
- Detainees MUST be permitted access tooutside visitation be it by attorneys, the Red Cross or by other parties, allowedaccess to medical treatment and families must be apprised of their conditionand status.
- Claims filed by detainees that includeallegations of torture or ill treatment must be investigated in an open andreliable manner by the authorities and perpetrators should be held accountable.
- All national medical and healthprofessional associations in our region should clarify that to physicians',psychologists', nurses' or medics' the responsibility to report suspicion oftorture to the proper authorities and to take action to prevent any ongoingabuse of their patients.
26 June 2011 serves as a reminder and as a challenge. Let us drawtogether to meet the challenge and put an end to torture!
Further Information:
Louis Frankenthaler