UN expert on torture examines treatment of Palestinian detainees

The United Nations expert on torture said on Friday she was investigating allegations of torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees in Israel, and was in talks to visit the country.

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Dr Alice Jill Edwards said she had recently received allegations of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinians being detained in the Israeli-occupied West Bank or as a result of the conflict in Gaza, where Israel is fighting the ruling Palestinian Hamas movement.

"I'm looking into that as we speak and carrying out a fact-finding investigation," said Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

"I'm calling on Hamas, the state of Palestine, Israel to put their torture tools down, to really have a focus on peace and a prospect of living side-by-side as neighbors in the future."

The Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva confirmed that it had received Edwards' request to visit Israel, which was passed on to Jerusalem for further consideration.

The UN human rights office says it has received numerous reports of mass detention, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance of Palestinians in northern Gaza by the Israeli military, and has recorded the arrests of thousands in the West Bank.

"Israel denies general and unsubstantiated claims regarding abuse of detainees in the IDF's detention facilities. The mistreatment of detainees during their time in detention or whilst under interrogation violates IDF values and contravenes IDF orders and is therefore absolutely prohibited," the Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva said in a statement to Reuters.




Reuters