Rights Advocates Decry 'Systemic Abuse' in Israeli Prisons
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Several NGOs have alerted the United Nations to a "crisis" unfolding in Israeli prisons amid an ongoing genocidal war in Gaza.
They warn that there is a record number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, where they are subjected to "systemic abuse" and torture.
"We are extremely, extremely concerned," said Tal Steiner, the executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), in an interview with the AFP news agency. "What we're looking at is a crisis."
Since the October 7 attack, nine people have reportedly died in prisons, Steiner added.
Currently, "there are almost 10,000 Palestinians in Israeli custody right now, … a 200-percent increase from any normal year," Steiner noted.
Miriam Azem from the Adalah legal center expressed concern that the worsening situation was not receiving adequate attention.
She stated that her organization had documented "19 clear cases" of torture within the Israeli prison system since October 7, including instances of sexual violence.
Azem emphasized that the crisis "requires the immediate intervention of the international community."
