Torture, Israeli-Style

Report accuses Shin Bet, police of severely torturing Palestinian suspects
By Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondent

A harsh report released Wednesday by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel accuses the Shin Bet and police of instances of severe torture of Palestinian security suspects.

The report contains the testimonies of nine Palestinians who were arrested by the Israel Defense Forces and Shin between 2004 and 2005, including one that charged police investigators with committing severe sexual abuse.

According to A., during questioning a police investigator held his legs in the air, and inserted an object into his rectum.

"While the investigator inserted the 'object' into my rectum and removed it, he pulled my genitalia, as if he wanted to rip it out," said A. "He told me that he wanted to cut it off and throw it to the dog - this lasted at least 10 minutes. The whole time I yelled out in pain."

According to A., the investigator told him "I promised you I was about to give it to you from behind, to screw you."

The report states that an examination of A. by an Abu Kabir Forensics Institute doctor revealed signs of sexual abuse on his body.

A different prisoner, Louay Ashkar, said he sat during questioning on a chair with a bent backrest, with both hands tied behind the chair and each leg tied to chair leg.

"The investigator would push my chest backward until my head reached the floor, and then grabbed my bound hands and pull me to him," said Ashkar. "I lost consciousness because of the pain, especially in my back."

According to the report, Ashkar's legs are paralyzed due to the damage his spinal chord suffered.

Another prisoner, Mohammed Barjieh, said investigators shook him during questioning. "The investigator grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me for maybe ten minutes," he said. "I felt as if heat waves were spreading throughout my head, and I felt a strong pain in my neck."

"Later, he returned me to the backward-leaning position," continued Barjieh. "I did not last long, and then I stood up, and again received a blow to the gut, and fell down again - for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. Then they picked me up and shook me again."

One of the complaints alleges forceful use of iron shackles. "The would close the shackles and push on them until the iron cuts into the flesh and you felt as if your hand is being cut off," said Amin Shakirat.

He also charged his own screams were taped and played back as a means of psychological pressure.

Interrogators used what appeared to be the "good cop, bad cop" method, by letting the director of the facility in with tea-biscuits and cola during a break.

Yamen said he was innocent, but after four or five days of interrogation he broke down and confessed, after which he led Israeli soldiers to an alleged weapons cache in Qalqiliya, which to the troops' anger was found empty.