Principle (6) of the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988, stipulates that:
“No person under any form of detention or imprisonment shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
“No circumstance whatever may be invoked as a justification for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 39/46 of 10 December 1984, goes on to define torture explicitly in its first article:
“For the purposes of this Convention, the term “torture” means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.”
Tali Fahima – a Jewish Israeli woman
Tali Fahima was detained on 9 August 2004 on her way to Jenin. She was arrested by Israeli Security Services for defying the Apartheid logic set by the Occupation Forces and showing public solidarity with the people of the Jenin Refugee Camp in their daily efforts to stay alive and resist their oppressors. She was subsequently questioned during a grueling 28 day GSS interrogation. The interrogation included sexual harassment, a filthy cell which was lit 24 hours a day, eye covering and painful cuffings. In the first days of the interrogation, Tali’s hands were cuffed behind her to a chair, she was prevented use of the toilet and medical attention. Free Tali Fahima
Tarek Loubani – a Canadian peace activist
A London Ontario activist named Tarek Loubani was arrested by the Israeli police while working with International Solidarity Movement (ISM) peace activists some time ago. Beaten and stripped searched three times in an hour. Canadian activist beaten
Muhammad Tanji – a peace activist from Tul Karm
Muhammad Tanji is an educational counselor from Tul Karm. During interrogation he was subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. He was beaten, was held in physical restraints for hours on end. In a statement he said ““My legs are dripping with blood from the tight cuffs…up to 1:30 in the morning, on a chair with my hands in cuffs, with my feet chained to the chair…” False arrest and brutal interrogation
Peace activists continue to be persecuted and tortured by Israel.
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