Public Committee Against Torture in Israel

Public Committee Against Torture in Israel

The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) is an Israeli human rights organisation specifically dedicated to combating torture, and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment and punishment (CIDT). PCATI, an independent human rights organization, was founded in 1990 in reaction to the years-long policy of the Israeli government which permitted the systematic use of torture and ill treatment of Palestinians in Shin Bet or Israel's General Security Service interrogations.[1]

PCATI monitors detention centers and continues the struggle against the use of torture in interrogation in Israel through legal means, support of relevant legislation and an information campaign aimed at raising public awareness of the subject. PCATI cooperates with other human rights organizations, Israeli, Palestinian and international its struggle against the use torture in Israel and for the implementation of international law and international humanitarian law in Israeli law and practices.

PCATI acts on behalf of all people—Israelis, Palestinians, labor immigrants and other foreigners residing in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories—with the aim of protecting them from torture and ill-treatment by the Israeli security authorities.

PCATI won a historic victory when, on 6 September 1999, in response to petitions of principle PCATI began submitting to the High Court of Justice in 1991, and petitions filed together with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Hamoked–Center for the Defense of the Individual and others, the High Court prohibited the use of various means of torture that were systematically employed by the GSS until that time. Following this, there was a significant decrease in the number of complaints regarding torture or the use of the harsh methods previously used. However, following the onset of the Second Intifada in September 2000, there was, again, a sharp increase in the number of complaints of torture and ill treatment indicating a reversion to the methods prohibited by the High Court of Justice. This resulted from the exploitation of "necessity defense" opening allowed by the Court in its ruling. There was also a widening of the phenomenon of the ill treatment of Palestinian detainees by soldiers and other members of the security forces. In light of this, PCATI expanded its activities and began employing field workers and external attorneys to assist the in-house staff in the investigation and treatment of cases of torture or CIDT. PCATI has, in addition continued to search for additional ways to combat torture, CIDT and related violations of human rights and particularly the issue of impunity, and to develop its legal and public advocacy methodology.

In December 1996, PCATI, together with the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Gaza, received the Human Rights Award of the French Republic from the President of France.

PCATI, as a human rights and social change organization, is engaged in outreach and education programs aimed at raising and engaging public discourse and consciousness regarding torture, impunity and related violations of human rights.

PCATI hopes in this way to influence policy makers, professionals and their associations, and the general public with the intent of converting such influence to pressure for policy change.

Dr. Ishai Menuchin has been the Executive Director of PCATI since January 2008. He replaced Ms. Hannah Friedman, who was one of PCATI's founders and its Executive Director after it was founded.

In 2009, PCATI released a report titled "Shackling as a Form of Torture and Abuse" that accused Israel of torturing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners by shackling them in violation of international standards. The report also called in to question Israel's refusal to allow the Red Cross to inspect Facility 1391, a secret prison which has been called Israel's "Guantanamo Bay".[2]

External links

References

  1. ^ http://elyon1.court.gov.il/Files_ENG/02/690/007/a34/02007690.a34.htm Supreme Court of Israel Decision on Case Case Public Committee Against Torture in Israel v. State of Israel /HCJ 769/02/. Last accessed: 20 August 2009.
  2. ^ "Report finds Israel still torturing Palestinians". Inter Press Service. 2009-06-26. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10625.shtml. 

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Public Committee Against Torture in Israel — Comité public contre la torture en Israël Le Comité public contre la torture en Israël (anglais : Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, PCATI) est une organisation non gouvernementale israélienne fondée en 1990 en réaction à la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Public Committee Against Torture in Israel — PCATI oder Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (deutsch: Öffentliches Komitee gegen Folter in Israel) ist eine 1990 gegründete, unabhängige jüdische Menschenrechtsorganisation in Jerusalem. PCATI publizierte zusammen mit B Tselem Berichte… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Committee Against Torture — bezeichnet; den UN Ausschuss gegen Folter das Public Committee Against Torture in Israel Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort bezeichneter Begriffe …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Comité public contre la torture en Israël — Le Comité public contre la torture en Israël (anglais : Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, PCATI) est une organisation non gouvernementale israélienne fondée en 1990 en réaction à la politique gouvernementale qui autorisait alors l… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Torturé — Torture Supplice de la roue. La torture est l imposition volontaire de sévices d ordre physique ou psychologique qui visent à faire souffrir un individu. Lorsque la torture accompagne l exécution d une condamnation à mort on parle plutôt de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Torture — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Torture (homonymie). Variété d instruments de torture. La torture est l imposition volontaire de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • United Nations Convention Against Torture — Convention against Torture Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Type Human rights convention Drafted 10 December 1984[1] Signed 10 December 1984 Location New York Effective 26 June 1987 …   Wikipedia

  • Cour suprême d'Israël — Israël Cet article fait partie de la série sur la politique d Israël, sous série sur la politique. Lois fondam …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Torture — Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person,… …   Wikipedia

  • Palestinian prisoners in Israel — mainly refers to Palestinians imprisoned in Israel following apprehension resulting from the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Most prisoners are held after conviction by the Israel Prison Service, which is under the jurisdiction of the Internal… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”