Region | Palestinian Territories

Torture widespread in Palestinian jails, say rights groups

At least 30 per cent of detainees in Palestinian prisons have been tortured by Palestinian rival groups Hamas and Fatah, human rights groups said.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 10:30 July 29, 2008
  • Gulf News

Ramallah: At least 30 per cent of detainees in Palestinian prisons have been tortured by Palestinian rival groups Hamas and Fatah, human rights groups said.

The Palestinian human rights group Al Haq said on Monday that arbitrary arrests of political opponents have been common since Hamas' takeover of Gaza.

"Arrests for political reasons haven't stopped for a second," said Al Haq director Shawan Jabarin.

He estimated that before the latest sweeps, more than 1,000 people had been seized by each side, with at least 30 per cent of the detainees being beaten or tied up.

Jabarin, citing sworn statements from 150 detainees and a doctor, said three died in detention in Gaza and one in the West Bank.

"The use of torture is dramatically up," added Fred Abrahams, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, a US-based group that is releasing its own report on abuse.

Jabarin said that while he had no proof of an official torture policy, he believed political leaders were indirectly encouraging abuse by looking the other way.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad acknowledged "shortcomings," but said human rights violations have decreased.

"I'm not defending anyone, but I can assure you that we have treated flaws and don't allow violations. The upcoming reports will be better," Fayyad said.

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