ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY:

ISRAELI HIGH COURT AGAIN UPHOLDS PROLONGED INCOMMUNICADO DETENTION; REFUSES TO ORDER ISRAELI SECRET POLICE TO REFRAIN FROM TORTURE

December 10, 1996

Today, the Israeli High Court of Justice approved the extension of Muhanned Abu Rumi's prolonged incommunicado detention (now three weeks) and refused again to issue an injunction to the Israeli secret police to refrain from using torture against Abu Rumi. The decision was issued by three justices- Matza, Kedmi and Turkel. The petition submitted yesterday by The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment ("LAW"), the second in this case, requested the High Court to order the Israeli secret police to allow LAW's attorneys to see Abu Rumi immediately. No one has seen or heard from Abu Rumi since his arrest three weeks ago. LAW contended that the prolonged incommunicado detention was illegal and heightened their suspicions that he was being tortured.

In the hearing, the State Attorney contended that the Israeli secret police had informed him that it was not using any "physical pressure" on Abu Rumi and that he was only handcuffed for "periods of time" and his head was covered. LAW's attorney, Allegra Pacheco argued that this statement was unreliable because it was totally ambiguous, not in writing and unsigned. She argued that one well known torture method used by the Israeli secret police - handcuffing the detainee to a kindergarten chair for up to 15 hours at a time in contorted positions- fell outside of the secret police's statement to the court and thus Abu Rumi could be suffering from this torture method at this moment. Further the government-sponsored Landau Commission report in 1987 concluded that the secret police routinely lies in front of the courts.

The court rejected LAW's arguments and asked Adv. Pacheco to withdraw the petition. The court recommended that she wait two more days to determine whether the prohibition will be renewed. LAW's attorney refused stating that since 22 days had already passed, the court should end the prolonged incommunicado detention immediately, and that the suspicions of torture could not be postponed for two more days. One justice suggested that despite Abu Rumi's incommunicado detention for three week's, LAW's attorney should have refrained from raising the torture issue until she was permitted to meet with him - a date still unknown. In response, LAW's attorney stated that the justice's suggestion was like asking someone to wait until after the crime is committed to take action instead of trying to prevent it before or while it is occurring.

On this day of international human rights, LAW calls on all those concerned to appeal to the Israeli government to lift the incommunicado detention for Muhanned Abu Rumi, and to order the secret police from to refrain from using physical and mental torture and ill-treatment against Abu Rumi. Fax to: Binyamin Netanyahu-972-2-566-4838; State Attorney's Office (legal advisor to the secret police)-972-2-6708-655.

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The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment- LAW is anon-governmental organization dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAW is also an affiliate member of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.