Arab League condemns torture of Gaza prisoners in Ramla prison and demands international investigation
Agencies3 min read
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The Arab League condemned, on Sunday, the systematic torture and repression to which Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip are being subjected in the Israeli Ramla prison, calling for an independent international investigation and for those responsible for the violations to be held accountable.
The League’s position came days after the Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office announced, on October 27, that Gaza prisoners had been subjected to repeated assaults inside the "Rimonim" (Rakifet) section of the prison, including beatings, the use of gas and rubber bullets, which resulted in injuries and burns among the detainees.
In a statement, the League expressed its strong condemnation "of the human rights violations and repeated systematic repression operations that detainees from the Gaza Strip in the Rakifet section of Ramla prison are being subjected to, which have led to injuries and burns for a number of prisoners."
It warned of the gravity of these practices, considering them a violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the four 1949 Geneva Conventions and their two Additional Protocols, and the Convention against Torture.
It affirmed that these acts "constitute crimes against humanity that require accountability and prosecution."
The League demanded the immediate cessation of the practices of repression and abuse against Palestinian prisoners, and to ensure they are treated in accordance with international human rights standards and international humanitarian law.
It also called for enabling the International Committee of the Red Cross and independent oversight bodies to visit Ramla prison and the "Rakifet" section without restrictions, to document the violations and provide medical care to the injured.
It stressed the necessity of opening an independent and transparent international investigation, holding those responsible for the violations accountable, immediately releasing sick and wounded prisoners, and stopping arbitrary detention.
It called on the international community, the Human Rights Council, and the United Nations General Assembly to assume their responsibilities in protecting Palestinian prisoners and ending impunity.
On October 27, the Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office reported that detainees from Gaza in the "Rakifet" section are subjected to assaults that repeat every Friday and Saturday, involving beatings with batons, spraying of gas and pepper spray, and the use of rubber bullets and sound grenades.
The office added that one of the repression operations included storming a prisoners' room and bringing in police dogs, noting that detainees were moved to a room without surveillance cameras and assaulted.
It warned of the repercussions of the continued violations on the lives and safety of the prisoners, especially the sick and injured.
No Israeli comment has been issued regarding these specific accusations at the time of writing this report.
Ramla prison is located in central Israel and is under the management of the Israel Prison Service.
The League's statement comes in light of continued human rights demands to stop violations against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and to allow international bodies to monitor their conditions.
Since October 8, 2023, Israel has waged a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 74,000 Palestinians dead and over 175,000 injured, most of them children and women, and causing destruction to about 90 percent of the civilian infrastructure, according to Palestinian data.
