After concluding that Israel is “not interested and unable to stop the use of torture against Palestinians”, an Israeli anti-torture body has referred its own country to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Israelis involved in torture be tried as part of an investigation by the Hague-based ICC over suspected war crimes committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories demanded The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI). It said that after 30 years of fighting torture it had “reached the unfortunate conclusion” that Israel has no wish to end torture, honestly investigate victims’ complaints and prosecute those responsible Middle East Eye reported.
“For us, this is a necessary and obligatory step today in our struggle for the moral image of Israeli society, and for the sake of justice for the victims we represent,” it said in a statement.
The PCATI has represented and worked to protect Israelis, Palestinians, refugees and migrants who have suffered torture and inhuman or degrading treatment in detention. It was established in the year 1990.
Over 1300 complaints of torture victims had been filed with Israeli law enforcement authorities but there are zero indictments, the PCATI said. “The law in Israel backs up the culture of falsehood and cover-up that still exists in the security system,” the PCATI said. They are the first Israeli organisation to take such a step and they “expect very hard and difficult reactions”.
Unlike the Palestinian Authority, Israel is not a signatory of the ICC’s Rome Statute, which the country says means the court has no jurisdiction. Investigations are opened by the ICC in places where the domestic authorities are unable or unwilling to probe allegations of abuse. Israel has previously said it will not cooperate with any ICC investigation according to Middle East Eye.
Source: Middle East Eye
