Introduction2023 was a challenging year for human rights work in Israel in general, and for the fight against torture in particular. The ultra-right-wing Israeli government introduced a range of legislation and attempts to dismantle democratic safeguards and standards by its ‘judicial reform’. These attempts and the anti-democratic rhetoric, especially by extreme right-wing National Security Minister
(June 2024) Today the world marks the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, inaugurated by the United Nations General Assembly in solidarity with those injured physically or psychologically by torture. To the full newsletter
(January 2024) Over recent weeks we have uncovered, together with fellow human rights organizations, testimonies and evidence of dozens of cases of severe abuse of Palestinian prisoners by prison guards in seven different prisons, by various units of the Israel Prison Service (IPS). The evidence leaves no room for doubt: something very bad is happening
(April 2023) you can’t talk about democracy without talking about occupation. A struggle for equality is impossible unless it includes a commitment to the human rights of everyone who shares this land – Palestinians and Jews.Read the full Newsletter
(December 2022) We are proud to share with you PCATI’s annual information sheet. The sheet provides updated information about the number of complaints relating to torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of victims by the Israeli security forces, particularly the Israel Security Agency (ISA).Read the full newsletter
(December 2022) Over recent months, and particularly since the elections to the Israeli, questions have again been raised regarding the work of Israel’s Police and its attitude towards minority groups in Israel, activists, and disadvantaged populations.Read the full newsletter
(September 2022) Last week Israel’s Supreme Court rejected an appeal filed by Amiram Ben Uliel, who was convicted of firebombing the home of the Dawabsheh family in the Palestinian village of Duma in 2015, killing three members of the family. His conviction was based on a confession he made 36 hours after he was subjected to
(May 2022) A few months ago, we submitted an alternative report to the UN Human Rights Committee, which monitors the implementation of the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in member countries and prepares recommendations in this field. We suggested a series of recommendations to the Committee in response to human rights
(December 2021) The past year began with a resonant reminder that torture is still with us – as is the bond of silence that surrounds it. In two outrageous and widely-reported decisions, Israel’s Attorney General closed investigative files into incidents involving severe abuse by security force personnel without indicting any of those involved. In May we looked on
The Public Committee against Torture in Israel (PCATI)* was established over 30 years ago to uproot torture in Israel and to defend all survivors of torture. During the vicious attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, thousands of Israelis and citizens of other countries – including women, children, and elderly people – were