A new report details allegations of torture and abuse of Palestinian journalists in Israeli prisons, with nearly 60 journalists reporting consistent mistreatment. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released the findings Thursday, documenting accounts of beatings, sexual violence, and medical neglect.
Palestinian Journalists Detail Torture in Israeli Custody
The CPJ report is based on testimonies from 59 released Palestinian journalists. Forty-eight of those detained were never formally charged with a crime, but held under Israeli policies allowing for six-month detentions without charge, renewable indefinitely. Others faced charges of incitement, anti-state activity, or promoting terrorism.
Fifty-eight testimonies included descriptions of torture and abuse, with recurring patterns reported across multiple facilities. CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah stated the reports reveal a “deliberate strategy to intimidate and silence journalists, and destroy their ability to bear witness.”
The documented abuses potentially violate international law, including the UN Convention Against Torture, to which Israel is a signatory, and Article 79 of a Geneva Convention Protocol protecting journalists.
Accounts of physical violence included extensive beatings resulting in injuries such as fractured ribs, meniscus tears, and spinal injuries. Photographer Shadi Abu Sido reported being “shackled, blindfolded, and forced through a corridor of soldiers who beat him with batons and kicks.”
Other reported abuses included the use of trained attack dogs, electroshocking, and pepper spray. Thirty-six journalists described being forced into stress positions, including being hung by their arms, bound behind the back, and pulled upward – a practice referred to as “ghost hanging.”
Journalists also reported medical neglect and sexual violence. Reports indicate widespread cases of scabies, rashes, untreated injuries, and unsanitary conditions. Seventeen journalists allege experiencing sexual violence, and two allege rape by Israeli soldiers. Nineteen recounted “humiliating strip searches.”
Psychological torture was also reported, including prolonged exposure to loud sounds and music causing sleep deprivation and disorientation. Starvation was reportedly used as a tactic to break detainees physically and psychologically, with journalists losing an average of 23.5 kilograms (54 pounds).
Gaza journalist Osama Al-Sayed said his abuse worsened after soldiers learned of his profession. Al Jazeera journalist Amin Baraka recounted repeated interrogations about his work and threats, including a soldier stating, “Al Jazeera correspondent Wael Al-Dahdouh defied us and stayed in the Gaza Strip, so we killed his family, and we will kill yours too.”
Mistreatment of Palestinian detainees has been repeatedly reported for years. UN reports from August 2024 detailed widespread torture, sexual abuse, and “atrocious inhumane conditions.” Amnesty International published similar reports as early as November 2023.
The CPJ report adds to evidence suggesting acts constituting genocide against Palestinians, according to human rights experts. Systematic targeting of journalists in Palestine has also been documented since the beginning of 2022, prior to the events of October 7, 2023.
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
