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Questions are being raised about the involvement of Israeli doctors in the suspected torture of a young Palestinian detainee who died in custody last month. Sharmila Devi reports. The death of a Palestinian prisoner in disputed circumstances in an Israeli prison has reignited a longstanding controversy over alleged physician complicity in torture as well as sparking renewed Palestinian anger over the estimated 4600 prisoners held by Israel. The Israeli Medical Association (IMA) denied that medical professionals were involved in torture or abuse and said that as far as it knew, torture was not approved or used by Israeli security forces or prisons. However, human-rights campaigners say Palestinian prisoners have long suffered from beatings, sleep deprivation, prolonged and painful handcuffing, humiliation, and medical neglectconsidered torture under international standards. Arafat Jaradat, a 30-year-old petrol attendant with two children, was arrested on Feb 18 on suspicion of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails during a West Bank demonstration held last November against Israeli military action in the Gaza strip. Palestinians say his arrest, months after the demonstration, and his interrogation was part of a longstanding Israeli policy to coerce prisoners to become informants after their release. Palestinian leaders say some 800 000 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces since 1967, and Jaradat was the 203rd prisoner to die. He died after several days of interrogation by Israeli's Shin Bet internal security service on Feb 23 at Israel's Megiddo prison. An autopsy was held the next day at Israel's Institute of Forensic Medicine in the presence of Saber Aloul, the Palestinian Authority's chief pathologist, who said bruising on the body was evidence of torture....
Additional samples taken from the body were still undergoing microscopic and toxicology tests and results were not expected for several weeks. The signs that appeared during the autopsy show clearly that he was subjected to severe torture that led immediately to his death, Issa Qaraka, the Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs said at a Ramallah press conference after being briefed by the Palestinian pathologist who attended the autopsy. Kamil Sabbagh, Jaradat's lawyer, told an Israeli military judge a couple of days before his client's death that he was being forced to sit for long periods during interrogation, had complained of back pain, and seemed terrified of returning to the Shin Bet detention centre where he was being held. The judge ordered an examination by a prison doctor. Derek Summerfield, an honorary senior lecturer at the University of London's Institute of Psychiatry and campaigner against what he called Israeli physicians violations of human rights, says he wanted to know what part doctors played in the circumstances of Jaradat's death. By Israel's own admission, Jaradat was seen by Israeli doctors 2 days earlier and they found him in good health. The key medical ethical question is what were these doctors examining him for, if not to assess whether he could withstand torture, he tells The Lancet. This is precisely what the campaign regarding medical collusion with torture in Israel was launched for in 2009 and it continues to run.
The IMA said in a statement: The IMA vociferously objects to the claim that medical professionals are involved in torture or abuse, and we will continue to do everything possible with the tools available to us to inform doctors about their obligation to report and to conduct themselves appropriately. The IMA and human rights organisations have called for responsibility for prisoners health to be taken away from the Israel Prison Service (IPS) and given to an outside body, such as health maintenance organisations (HMO) or the health ministry, which a year ago set up a standing committee to which doctors can report suspicions of torture. It's true that every doctor has a conflict of interest between the patient and the system in the HMOs and also in the army, Avinoam Reches, who heads the IMA's Ethics Board, told Ha'aretz newspaper. But in the case of the IPS, the problem is severe because the treatment is given to people who have no freedom of choice whatsoever....
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals.[1] The Lancet was founded in 1823 by Thomas Wakley, an English surgeon who named it after the surgical instrument called a lancet, as well as after the term "lancet arch",[2] a window with a sharp pointed arch, to indicate the "light of wisdom" or "to let in light".
The Lancet publishes original research articles, review articles ("seminars" and "reviews"), editorials, book reviews, correspondence, as well as news features and case reports. The Lancet has been owned by Elsevier since 1991. As of 1995, the editor-in-chief is Richard Horton. The journal has editorial offices in London, New York, and Beijing.
The Lancet? FLUSSSSHHHHHHHHHH.
Is that all you have....garbage sites?
The Lancet? FLUSSSSHHHHHHHHHH.
Is that all you have....garbage sites?
This is excerpts from an article from The Lancet
Questions are being raised about the involvement of Israeli doctors in the suspected torture of a young Palestinian detainee who died in custody last month. Sharmila Devi reports. The death of a Palestinian prisoner in disputed circumstances in an Israeli prison has reignited a longstanding controversy over alleged physician complicity in torture as well as sparking renewed Palestinian anger over the estimated 4600 prisoners held by Israel. The Israeli Medical Association (IMA) denied that medical professionals were involved in torture or abuse and said that as far as it knew, torture was not approved or used by Israeli security forces or prisons. However, human-rights campaigners say Palestinian prisoners have long suffered from beatings, sleep deprivation, prolonged and painful handcuffing, humiliation, and medical neglectconsidered torture under international standards. Arafat Jaradat, a 30-year-old petrol attendant with two children, was arrested on Feb 18 on suspicion of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails during a West Bank demonstration held last November against Israeli military action in the Gaza strip. Palestinians say his arrest, months after the demonstration, and his interrogation was part of a longstanding Israeli policy to coerce prisoners to become informants after their release. Palestinian leaders say some 800 000 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces since 1967, and Jaradat was the 203rd prisoner to die. He died after several days of interrogation by Israeli's Shin Bet internal security service on Feb 23 at Israel's Megiddo prison. An autopsy was held the next day at Israel's Institute of Forensic Medicine in the presence of Saber Aloul, the Palestinian Authority's chief pathologist, who said bruising on the body was evidence of torture....
Additional samples taken from the body were still undergoing microscopic and toxicology tests and results were not expected for several weeks. The signs that appeared during the autopsy show clearly that he was subjected to severe torture that led immediately to his death, Issa Qaraka, the Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs said at a Ramallah press conference after being briefed by the Palestinian pathologist who attended the autopsy. Kamil Sabbagh, Jaradat's lawyer, told an Israeli military judge a couple of days before his client's death that he was being forced to sit for long periods during interrogation, had complained of back pain, and seemed terrified of returning to the Shin Bet detention centre where he was being held. The judge ordered an examination by a prison doctor. Derek Summerfield, an honorary senior lecturer at the University of London's Institute of Psychiatry and campaigner against what he called Israeli physicians violations of human rights, says he wanted to know what part doctors played in the circumstances of Jaradat's death. By Israel's own admission, Jaradat was seen by Israeli doctors 2 days earlier and they found him in good health. The key medical ethical question is what were these doctors examining him for, if not to assess whether he could withstand torture, he tells The Lancet. This is precisely what the campaign regarding medical collusion with torture in Israel was launched for in 2009 and it continues to run.
The IMA said in a statement: The IMA vociferously objects to the claim that medical professionals are involved in torture or abuse, and we will continue to do everything possible with the tools available to us to inform doctors about their obligation to report and to conduct themselves appropriately. The IMA and human rights organisations have called for responsibility for prisoners health to be taken away from the Israel Prison Service (IPS) and given to an outside body, such as health maintenance organisations (HMO) or the health ministry, which a year ago set up a standing committee to which doctors can report suspicions of torture. It's true that every doctor has a conflict of interest between the patient and the system in the HMOs and also in the army, Avinoam Reches, who heads the IMA's Ethics Board, told Ha'aretz newspaper. But in the case of the IPS, the problem is severe because the treatment is given to people who have no freedom of choice whatsoever....
Israeli doctors accused of collusion in torture : The Lancet
Sherri
The Israeli Medical Association (IMA) denied that medical professionals were involved in torture or abuse and said that as far as it knew, torture was not approved or used by Israeli security forces or prisons.....Arafat Jaradat,a 30-year-old petrol attendant....was arrested on Feb 18 on suspicion of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails during a West Bank demonstration held last November against Israeli military action in the Gaza strip.
The Palestinian Human Rights Organisations Council (PHROC), along with Adalah, Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, express their outrage at the death of Arafat Jaradat, 30, which, according tothe autopsy report of Dr Saber al-Aloul, Director of the Palestinian Medico-legal Institute, was caused by torture and ill-treatment inflicted while in Israeli custody. The preliminary autopsy, to which there are links below, found that Arafat displayed severe bruising on his upper back, deep bruising along the spine, and significant bruising on both sides of the chest. The postmortem also discovered bruising on both arms and inside the mouth, blood around the nose and three fractured ribs. In addition, the examination discounted the claim by the Israeli authorities that Arafat died of a heart attack. His heart was completely healthy and there was no evidence of damage or weakness of any kind. The report concludes that all injuries were the result of very recent, severe and direct torture. The undersigned organisations reiterate the demands made by UN representatives for an immediate international investigation into the death of Arafat Jaradat with a view to holding those responsible for his death accountable...
The absolute prohibition against torture is a peremptory norm of international law and has now become one of the most fundamental standards of the international community. Since 2001, there have been more than 750 complaints of torture and ill-treatment against the ISA. Not one complaint has resulted in a criminal investigation. Indeed, given that all complaints are reviewed by the Inspector of Interrogee Complaints, who is himself an ISA agent, it is a process that guarantees the absence of credible and impartial investigations. The fact that the Israeli Attorney General has ratified each recommendation not to investigate is further evidence of the institutional impunity which shields the ISA and those who commit torture in Israeli prisons.
This is excerpts from an article from The Lancet
Questions are being raised about the involvement of Israeli doctors in the suspected torture of a young Palestinian detainee who died in custody last month. Sharmila Devi reports. The death of a Palestinian prisoner in disputed circumstances in an Israeli prison has reignited a longstanding controversy over alleged physician complicity in torture as well as sparking renewed Palestinian anger over the estimated 4600 prisoners held by Israel. The Israeli Medical Association (IMA) denied that medical professionals were involved in torture or abuse and said that as far as it knew, torture was not approved or used by Israeli security forces or prisons. However, human-rights campaigners say Palestinian prisoners have long suffered from beatings, sleep deprivation, prolonged and painful handcuffing, humiliation, and medical neglectconsidered torture under international standards. Arafat Jaradat, a 30-year-old petrol attendant with two children, was arrested on Feb 18 on suspicion of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails during a West Bank demonstration held last November against Israeli military action in the Gaza strip. Palestinians say his arrest, months after the demonstration, and his interrogation was part of a longstanding Israeli policy to coerce prisoners to become informants after their release. Palestinian leaders say some 800 000 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces since 1967, and Jaradat was the 203rd prisoner to die. He died after several days of interrogation by Israeli's Shin Bet internal security service on Feb 23 at Israel's Megiddo prison. An autopsy was held the next day at Israel's Institute of Forensic Medicine in the presence of Saber Aloul, the Palestinian Authority's chief pathologist, who said bruising on the body was evidence of torture....
Additional samples taken from the body were still undergoing microscopic and toxicology tests and results were not expected for several weeks. The signs that appeared during the autopsy show clearly that he was subjected to severe torture that led immediately to his death, Issa Qaraka, the Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs said at a Ramallah press conference after being briefed by the Palestinian pathologist who attended the autopsy. Kamil Sabbagh, Jaradat's lawyer, told an Israeli military judge a couple of days before his client's death that he was being forced to sit for long periods during interrogation, had complained of back pain, and seemed terrified of returning to the Shin Bet detention centre where he was being held. The judge ordered an examination by a prison doctor. Derek Summerfield, an honorary senior lecturer at the University of London's Institute of Psychiatry and campaigner against what he called Israeli physicians violations of human rights, says he wanted to know what part doctors played in the circumstances of Jaradat's death. By Israel's own admission, Jaradat was seen by Israeli doctors 2 days earlier and they found him in good health. The key medical ethical question is what were these doctors examining him for, if not to assess whether he could withstand torture, he tells The Lancet. This is precisely what the campaign regarding medical collusion with torture in Israel was launched for in 2009 and it continues to run.
The IMA said in a statement: The IMA vociferously objects to the claim that medical professionals are involved in torture or abuse, and we will continue to do everything possible with the tools available to us to inform doctors about their obligation to report and to conduct themselves appropriately. The IMA and human rights organisations have called for responsibility for prisoners health to be taken away from the Israel Prison Service (IPS) and given to an outside body, such as health maintenance organisations (HMO) or the health ministry, which a year ago set up a standing committee to which doctors can report suspicions of torture. It's true that every doctor has a conflict of interest between the patient and the system in the HMOs and also in the army, Avinoam Reches, who heads the IMA's Ethics Board, told Ha'aretz newspaper. But in the case of the IPS, the problem is severe because the treatment is given to people who have no freedom of choice whatsoever....
Israeli doctors accused of collusion in torture : The Lancet
Sherri
Let's not forget Dr. Goldstein the mass murderer for Israel where Israelis make pilmigrages to his grave site.
Physicians For Human Rights, an NGO in Israel has been addressing issues of torture of Palestinian prisoners in detention for a long time.
14 Palestinian and Israeli Organisations Condemn Lack of Accountability for Torture of Palestinian Detainees
The Palestinian Human Rights Organisations Council (PHROC), along with Adalah, Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, express their outrage at the death of Arafat Jaradat, 30, which, according tothe autopsy report of Dr Saber al-Aloul, Director of the Palestinian Medico-legal Institute, was caused by torture and ill-treatment inflicted while in Israeli custody. The preliminary autopsy, to which there are links below, found that Arafat displayed severe bruising on his upper back, deep bruising along the spine, and significant bruising on both sides of the chest. The postmortem also discovered bruising on both arms and inside the mouth, blood around the nose and three fractured ribs. In addition, the examination discounted the claim by the Israeli authorities that Arafat died of a heart attack. His heart was completely healthy and there was no evidence of damage or weakness of any kind. The report concludes that all injuries were the result of very recent, severe and direct torture. The undersigned organisations reiterate the demands made by UN representatives for an immediate international investigation into the death of Arafat Jaradat with a view to holding those responsible for his death accountable...
The absolute prohibition against torture is a peremptory norm of international law and has now become one of the most fundamental standards of the international community. Since 2001, there have been more than 750 complaints of torture and ill-treatment against the ISA. Not one complaint has resulted in a criminal investigation. Indeed, given that all complaints are reviewed by the Inspector of Interrogee Complaints, who is himself an ISA agent, it is a process that guarantees the absence of credible and impartial investigations. The fact that the Israeli Attorney General has ratified each recommendation not to investigate is further evidence of the institutional impunity which shields the ISA and those who commit torture in Israeli prisons.
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel | Prisoners & Detainees Dept | Updates
The Report points out that on February 21, Arafat's lawyer reported he was suffering from severe pain in his back after three days of interrogation and he was expressing strong fear of returning to more interrogation when his detention order was extended for 12 days. On the request of the attorney, the judge ordered a full physical and psychological examination of Arafat to be carried out and a report was supposed to be presented to the court and the ISA. It is unknown if this exam took place, and the report states any results of such an exam should be disclosed or the authorities should explain why the court order was not complied with.
Torture is unlawful under Article 12 of UN Convention Against Torture, of which Israel is a State Party, which obliges States to perform prompt and impartial investigations in all alleged incidents of torture. Torture is also unlawful under The Fourth Geneva Convention and is considered a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Further, torture is listed as both a crime against humanity and a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Further, torture has permissive universal jurisdiction according to customary international law, which allows any State to prosecute those accused of torture, regardless of their nationality
The Report states, despite intl law prohibitions of torture, Arafats death is symptomatic of the utter disregard with which Israel holds the lives of Palestinian prisoners. According to the Report, since the beginning of the occupation in 1967, 203 Palestinians have died in Israeli detention centres and at least 71 died as a direct result of torture. 178 Palestinians are being held in administrative detention without charge or trial or any access to the information upon which their detention is based. And there are presently 10 prisoners engaged in hunger strikes in protest against their detention, with two more who just suspended their hunger strikes , Tarek Qaadan and Jafar Azzidine, who spent more than 90 days on hunger strike and are in critical condition.
Sherri
