SAFA – The United Nations Human Rights Office has condemned the continued use of arbitrary detention, torture, and other forms of ill-treatment by Palestinian authorities against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian officials have maintained that such measures are carried out for security reasons.

In a statement, the UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said those detained include journalists, political opponents, and activists. It reported that dozens of Palestinians remain in arbitrary or unlawful detention, with many held under legislation that the Palestinian Supreme Constitutional Court has ruled unconstitutional.

The office also documented cases in which male detainees, including children, remained in custody despite court orders ordering their release.

Testimonies from Palestinian detention facilities describe severe abuse, including painful stress positions, beatings, whippings, and prolonged solitary confinement. Detainees also reported being subjected to shabeh, a practice in which their hands are tied behind their backs before they are suspended from the ceiling by their wrists, in some cases for several days.

While acknowledging that Palestinian authorities have cooperated with the UN Human Rights Office in recent years, including by amending legislation and increasing engagement with the UN Committee against Torture, the office said these efforts have not gone far enough to ensure the protection of detainees' rights and dignity.

The UN Human Rights Office called on Palestinian authorities to immediately end all forms of torture, ill-treatment, and arbitrary or unlawful detention. It stressed that all persons deprived of their liberty must be treated humanely and with respect for their inherent dignity.

The office also urged authorities to guarantee minimum detention standards, including regular access to outdoor time, adequate living space to prevent overcrowding, sufficient food, medical care, clothing, clean sanitation facilities, and proper hygiene. It further emphasized that detainees must have the right to challenge the legality of their detention before a court.

Finally, the UN Human Rights Office called for prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigations into all allegations of torture and ill-treatment, stressing that those responsible must be held accountable. 

It also urged the Palestinian government to fulfill its obligations under the National Commission against Torture and the UN Convention against Torture, including by establishing an independent national body to conduct regular inspections of all detention facilities.