Geneva, May 20 (SANA) U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Jill Edwards condemned the systematic torture and serious violations committed against Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons, and called for independent investigations into reported deaths in custody.
In a statement issued Tuesday and cited by AFP, Edwards said emergency measures imposed by Israeli authorities since October 2023 had exposed Palestinian detainees to various forms of torture, degrading treatment and arbitrary detention, including prolonged incommunicado detention and restrictions on contact with lawyers and family members.
She said testimonies and documented accounts pointed to severe physical and psychological abuse, including beatings, electric shocks, sleep deprivation, starvation and acute malnutrition.
Edwards also voiced concern over the deaths of at least 94 Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody since October 2023, noting that no effective investigations had been conducted into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
According to the U.N. expert, autopsy findings in several cases reportedly showed broken ribs, internal bleeding and severe injuries to internal organs allegedly linked to torture and abuse.
Edwards called for “comprehensive, transparent and independent” investigations to ensure accountability for those responsible for the violations. She also criticized what she described as a lack of judicial accountability, saying complaints filed against Israeli intelligence and security personnel had not resulted in criminal convictions.
The statement comes amid growing international concern over conditions facing Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, alongside continued reports by Palestinian and human rights organizations regarding torture, medical neglect and arbitrary detention.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said recently that around 23,000 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank have been detained since October 2023, including women, children, injured individuals and former prisoners. The group added that the figures do not include thousands of detentions carried out in Gaza, where it said many detainees remain subjected to enforced disappearance.
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