September 17 , 2001

Palestinian Human Rights Defender Daoud Darawi Continues to be Held and Tortured in Israeli Prison

Al-Haq calls for the immediate release of Mr. Daoud Darawi, lawyer and human rights activist, arrested September 10, 2001 at King Hussein/Allenby Bridge as he crossed into the West Bank from Jordan. Two of al-Haq’s Lawyers, Ms. Rafeer Mujahed and Mr. Nizar Ayoub, visited Mr. Darawi today and received the following information from him. 

In a signed affidavit Mr. Darawi stated that since his arrest on 10 September he has been held in “Shabeh”, has not been allowed to sleep, and has been intensively interrogated. “Shabeh” involves forcing a person to remain in an uncomfortable or unnatural position, sometimes for an extended period of time. It constitutes torture, and its use was banned by the Israeli high court in 1999. Sleep deprivation is also considered a form of torture. 

Mr. Darawi reported that since his arrest he has been repeatedly interrogated while handcuffed to a chair. His feet are handcuffed to the back of the chair, and his hands are handcuffed behind him. During the interrogations Israeli officers have accused him of being active in both PFLP and Islamic Jihad. When he is not being interrogated Mr. Darawi has been left handcuffed to the chair, only being let up to eat three times a day and for brief bathroom breaks. On 13 September the Israeli court extended his detention, allowing the General Security Services (GSS) 25 days to investigate his case. Charges against Mr. Darawi have yet to be entered. 

Israeli human rights lawyer Leah Tsemel is representing Mr. Darawi. Yesterday she sent Mr. Darawi’s wife, also a lawyer, to visit him in prison. The Israeli authorities made her wait for three hours and then refused to let her visit her husband. While she was being detained Mr. Darawi’s interrogators told him that they had arrested her and that he should confess. When they released her they let him view her leaving, and told him that if he did not tell them what they wanted they would “arrest her again”. 

These reports leave al-Haq deeply disturbed and concerned for the safety of Mr. Darawi and other prisoners being held by the Israeli authorities. In our initial release concerning Mr. Darawi al-Haq noted its fear that Mr. Darawi might be tortured. Now this fear has been realized. 
Over the last months al-Haq has received an increasing number of reports detailing abuse and torture at the hands of the GSS and Israeli police. We therefore call upon the International community and International Human Rights Organizations to place pressure on Israel to respect Palestinians human rights. We also call upon Israel to immediately release Daoud Darawi, and demand that the Israeli authorities open investigations into all reports of torture and abuse by the GSS and Israeli police.