In Israeli jails, torture is systematically practiced extensively to extract information from Palestinian detainees. It is methodologically established based on the kinds of suffering, tools used, and frequency of practice.
Torture means that Israeli prisons do not discern among detainees regarding age, gender, residence areas, and prior or post-September 1999. However, there is a disparity as to the frequency and format.
Torture begins from the moment of breaking into the detainee’s residence until arriving at the Israeli jail.
Arrests that were made after midnight or at dawn, which means that detainees are asleep, mounted to 72.7%.
While raids that resulted in damages to the house while arresting Palestinian people constituted 44.3%; as for subjecting the detainee to torture in front of his relatives were 42.7%. While 76.5% stated that numerous troopers broke into a house and surrounded it and troopers attacked 18.6% of the detainee’s relatives while attacks on families of women were mainly from males.
79.8% of the detainees were humiliated during the detention and before reaching the Israeli detention center, 71.7% usually got arrested for a longer period (more than 18 days) without being presented before a court.
The results indicated that there was a quantitative increase in the practice of torture since September
Female Palestinian detainees had to bear the brunt of the psychological torture, ranging from deprivation from family visits, and lack of appropriate health treatment, forcing them to undress as well as 18 issuing repeated rape threats. The practices did not discern among age groups that had largely similar practices.
15% Palestinian detainees continue suffering from chronic ailments such as headaches, ulcers, back pains, and so on, with women having a higher level of physical problems.
Torture Positions in Israeli Occupation Prisons
Since the occupation of Palestine, the Israeli occupation implemented and created laws and practices that led to both the systematic use of torture and absolute impunity for the perpetrator of this crime.
The crime of torture is systematic and widely spread with the complicity of the Israeli judicial system.
Israeli military uses several stress positions against Palestinian detainees at the interrogation centers including:
The Banana Position
The detainee’s legs are cuffed to the lower part of a chair (the back of the chair is positioned to the side) and his/her hands are cuffed to each other and pressured by the interrogators to the lower part of the chair. Interrogators keep pushing the cuffed hands until they reach beneath the chair.
This position would mean that the detainee’s body forms an arch extremely harming the detainee’s chest and stomach. The detainees are forced into this position for more than the body can handle, thus, the body falls to the back on the floor or on the knees of an interrogator sitting behind the chair.
The Squatting Position
In this position, the detainee is forced to stand on his/her toes and squat, his/her hands would be cuffed to each other and positioned in front or behind him/herself. Two interrogators would be standing, one in front of the detainee and another behind him to prevent the detainee from falling down on the ground, causing extreme pressure on the detainee’s toes.
The Rounded Chains / Ball of Chains Position
The detainee is forced into lying on the ground with the hands cuffed to each other with iron chains (a rounded half a meter of chains) and positioned behind the detainee’s back. This position also includes officers sitting on the detainee to exert pressure on the body causing severe pain to the chest and stomach. Interrogators would also put their knees on the detainee’s shoulders and at the same time, other interrogators would sit on the detainee’s legs.
The Imaginary Chair Position
In this position, the detainee is forced to stand in the middle of the interrogation room and squat at a 45-degree angle. Two interrogators would be standing each on one side of the detainee to pressure the detainee from his/her shoulders and make sure the detainee stays still in the same position.
Threatening, Yelling, and Beating
Several interrogators would surround the detainee from all sides, they would loudly yell, threaten and beat him/her all over the body while blindfolded and cuffed to a chair, unable to even foresee the hit or know where would it come from.
Suffocate
While being interrogated, and cuffed in different stress positions, interrogators would attempt to suffocate the detainee through exerting pressure on the neck.
Pulling Facial and Head Hair from its Roots
Interrogators would pull the detainee’s facial and head hair from its roots during the interrogation sessions while the detainee is cuffed in different stress positions, thus causing bruises and injuries on the detainee’s face and head.
Cuffed in front of a Wall
In this position, the detainee is forced to stand in front of a wall and squat at a 45-degree angle. Two interrogators would be standing each on one side of the detainee to pressure the detainee from his/her shoulders in order to increase the pressure placed on the detainee’s body.
Cuffed to a Table
Sitting on a chair while handcuffed to the back where the hands are positioned on the table behind the detainee’s chair. In this position, the pressure would be mainly on the detainee’s shoulders. In some cases, interrogators would sit on the detainee’s knees to pressure their chest to the back, and/or interrogators would pull their hands to the back to inflict further pressure on their shoulders, at the same time other interrogators would forcefully push their head (face) to the back.
Pulling Hair
Interrogators would pull the detainee’s hair during the interrogation sessions and while being cuffed in certain stress positions. This method is further used with female detainees causing pain and swelling of the scalp.
Thighs Subjected to Harsh Beating
Interrogators would harshly beat the detainees using their legs and knees until the detainee fell on the ground. After a detainee falls on the ground the interrogators would force him/ her to stand up and continue the harsh beating on the detainee’s thighs. This specific kind of beating is also used in the different stress positions detainees are forced into causing severe pain, swelling, and bruises.
The Small Chair Position
The interrogators at the Israeli interrogation centers use the small chair position against all Palestinian detainees where they force them into sitting on a small chair for long periods of time while their hands and legs are cuffed.
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