Torture: it won't end until we speak up

Torture: it won't end until we speak up

"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." -Article 5, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On 26 June people around the world will commemorate the International Day for Support of Victims of Torture.

Amnesty International-Israel Section, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture in Ramallah, Defence for Children International/Palestine Section, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel invite the general public to take part in an event to commemorate the day and to protest against the use of torture and inhuman treatment on any person in any place.

The event will take place on Saturday 26 June 2004 in the Cinematheque Plaza in Tel Aviv (corner of HaArbaa Street) between 17:00 and 20:00. During the event some of the types of torture used in Israel will be demonstrated. Similarly, information on torture in Israel and worldwide will be available.

Background Information on Torture

Even though International Law prohibits the use of any form of torture, it is used in over 80 countries, including democracies, worldwide. The majority of torture victims are civilians- not soldiers. Generally, these people are tortured because of their social, religious or ethnic affiliations, as a means of political suppression and realization of political and military goals, and as expressions of revenge, hate and frustration. Since torture is frequently committed by state agencies, the persecutors enjoy immunity from standing trial.

Background on Israel and Torture

People, including children, imprisoned in Israel suffer frequently from inhumane prison conditions, including: overcrowding, suffocation, sleeping on the floor, little or no food and humiliation. Violence, including abuse, against prisoners is common in detention centers and prisons in Israel, and also during arrests physical violence is sometimes used. During interrogations the security forces regularly use scare-tactics and threats on prisoners. Some are held in painful positions for extended periods of time and they are deprived of sleep. All this, even after the High Court's decision from 1999 regarding torture.

Doctors are completely prohibited to actively or passively participate in torture. Doctors who ignore and fail to and report on prisoners' complaints regarding torture, or any other inhuman or degrading treatment, and doctors who sign medical documents of "fitness" for interrogations- during which torture is used- are actively taking part in torture.

Torture is intended to break the person, the family and the society. Torture is not moral, no matter the circumstances, and it must be stopped immediately.

HEBREW

"òéðåééí: æä ìà ééâîø àí ìà ðñôø"- äæîðä ìàéøåò áúì àáéá

"ìà éäéä àãí ðúåï ìòéðåééí åìà ìéçñ àå òåðù àëæøééí, áìúé àðåùééí àå îùôéìéí." -ñòéó 5 ìäëøæä äòåìîéú áãáø æëåéåú äàãí

á-26 ìéåðé éöåéï áøçáé äòåìí äéåí äáéðìàåîé ìúîéëä á÷åøáðåú òéðåééí. àîðñèé àéðèøðùðì- ñðéó éùøàì, äåòã äöéáåøé ðâã òéðåééí áéùøàì, äîøëæ ìùé÷åí ÷åøáðåú òéðåééí áøîàììä, äàâåãä äáéðìàåîéú ìæëåéåú äéìã/ñðéó ôìñèéï, îøëæ òæä ìáøéàåú äðôù, åòîåúú "øåôàéí ìæëåéåú àãí" îæîéðéí àú ä÷äì äøçá ìáåà ìàéøåò ìöéåï äéåí åìîçåú ðâã äùéîåù áòéðåééí åéçñ áìúé àðåùé áëì î÷åí ëìôé ëì àãí.

äàéøåò éú÷ééí á- 26 áéåðé 2004, îåö"ù, áøçáú ñéðîè÷ úì-àáéá, áéï äùòåú 17:00 – 20:00. áîäìê äàéøåò éåãâîå çì÷ îñåâé äòéðåééí äðîöàéí áùéîåù áéùøàì. ëîå ëï, éäéä áî÷åí îéãò òì úåôòú äòéðåééí áéùøàì åáòåìí.

ø÷ò ëììé òì òéðåééí

ìîøåú ùäçå÷ äáéðìàåîé àåñø ëì öåøä ùì òéðåééí, ðôåõ äùéîåù áòéðåééí áéåúø î-80 îãéðåú áøçáé äòåìí, áëììï îãéðåú ãîå÷øèéåú. øåá äàðùéí äðúåðéí ìòéðåééí áòåìí äí àæøçéí, ìà çééìéí. áãøê ëìì, àðùéí àìå îòåðéí áâìì îòîãí äçáøúé àå ùééëåúí äàúðéú àå äãúéú, ëãøê ìãéëåé ôåìéèé åîéîåù àéðèøñéí ôåìéèééí åöáàééí åëáéèåé ìøâùåú ð÷í, ùðàä åúñëåì. îëéååï ùìòéúéí ÷øåáåú îáåöòéí äòéðåééí òì éãé ñåëðåéåú äîãéðä, ðäðéí äîòðéí îçñéðåú áôðé äòîãä ìãéï.

ø÷ò ìâáé òéðåééí áéùøàì

òöåøéí áéùøàì, ëåìì ÷èéðéí, ñåáìéí ìòéúéí ÷øåáåú îúðàé ëìéàä áìúé àðåùééí äëåììéí öôéôåú, îçð÷, ìéðä òì äøöôä, îæåï îåòè åéçñ îùôéì. àìéîåú, ëåìì äúòììåú, ëìôé òöåøéí ùëéçä ááúé äîòöø åáúé äëìà áéùøàì åëê âí áîäìê äîòöø äîìååä ìòéúéí áàìéîåú ôéæéú. áîäìê äç÷éøä, îùúîùéí ëåçåú äáéèçåï ãøê ÷áò, áäôçãä åàéåîéí ëðâã òöåøéí. çì÷í îåçæ÷éí áúðåçåú îëàéáåú ìîùê æîï àøåê åðîðòú îäí ùéðä. áðåñó, ðîðò îòöåøéí îæåï àå ùæä ðéúï ìäí áëîåéåú îæòøéåú. ëì àìä îùîùéí àîöòé ìçõ áç÷éøä åéãåòéí ëâåøîéí ìðæ÷éí áøéàåúééí ôéñééí åðôùééí ëàçã. ëì æàú, âí ìàçø äçìèú áâ"ö î-1999 áðåâò ìòéðåééí.

çì àéñåø îåçìè òì äùúúôåú øåôàéí áòéðåééí áàåôï à÷èéáé àå ôñéáé. çåñø äúééçñåú åãéååç ùì øåôàéí òì úìåðåú ùì òöåøéí áðåâò ìòéðåééí, àå ëì éçñ áìúé àðåùé àå àëæøé àçø, åçúéîúí ùì øåôàéí òì èåôñ ëùéøåú ìç÷éøä- ëàùø éãåò ëé ðòùéú úåê òéðåééí- ëîåä ëäùúúôåú ôòéìä áòéðåééí òöîí.

îèøúí ùì äòéðåééí äéà ìùáåø àú äàãí, äîùôçä åäçáøä. äòéðåééí äéðí áìúé îåñøééí áëì î÷åí, îöá åúðàé åéù ìäôñé÷í ìàìúø.

ìîéãò ðåñó:

àîðåï åéãï, àîðñèé àéðèøðùéåðì – ñðéó éùøàì, 054-6251600 ** çðä ôøéãîï, äåòã äöéáåøé ðâã òéðåééí áéùøàì, 050-6556442 ** çåñí àìðåðå, îøëæ òæä ìáøéàåú äðôù, 08-2825700** ã"ø îçîåã ñçåéì, äîøëæ ìùé÷åí ÷åøáðåú òéðåééí áøîàììä, 02-2961710** â'åøâ' àáå àì-æåìåó, äàâåãä äáéðìàåîéú ìæëåéåú äéìã/ñðéó ôìñèéï, 052-2436289 ** ùáúàé âåìã, øåôàéí ìæëåéåú àãí, 054-4860630.

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