Write to David Lammy: Stop Israeli Torture

Last week deplorable footage emerged of Israeli prison guards raping a Palestinian prisoner, leaving the victim hospitalised with severe injuries. Shockingly, the response within Israel has been to rally behind the prison guards who committed this horrific crime – with media figures and high-level politicians inciting further violence and abuse against Palestinian detainees.

Whilst deeply disturbing, this is far from being an isolated incident. UN experts stated last week that the widespread and systematic torture of Palestinian prisoners is a crime against humanity, and that at least 53 Palestinians have been killed since October as a result of abuse while in custody.

For decades, Israel has arbitrarily arrested and detained hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from all walks of life as a means of repression and control.Virtually every Palestinian family has had a relative detained at some time, with roughly 40% of all men having experienced prison. Since October, Israel has dramatically escalated the volume of arrests and the level of abuse against prisoners.

There are currently around 9,500 Palestinians, including hundreds of children and women, who are being held hostage by Israel in its prison system. A significant number of these are under administrative detention, meaning that they are imprisoned without charge or trial.

There are countless testimonials of detainees kept in cage-like enclosures, tied to beds blindfolded and in nappies, stripped naked, deprived of adequate healthcare, food, water and sleep, and subjected to electrocutions, blackmail, and cigarette burns. Victims have also spoken of loud music played until their ears bled, attacks by dogs, waterboarding, suspension from ceilings and severe sexual and gender-based violence. Israel’s leading human rights organisation, B’Tselem, has described the prison system as a network of torture camps.

The state sanctioned abuse of Palestinian prisoners is purposefully used by Israel to repress and control the population. This is a core element of Israel’s system of apartheid, which our government is complicit in maintaining through diplomatic support and the ongoing arms trade. Join us calling for this to end.

In solidarity,

James

PSC Campaigns Officer