[CTRL] Culture of impunity fosters Israeli police brutality

[William Shannon]

Culture of impunity fosters Israeli police brutality
Washington
http://www.metimes.com/2K/issue2000-46/methaus.htm
A culture of impunity around the Israeli police is resulting in police
brutality, ill treatment, threats and beatings, according to a new report
issued by Amnesty International.The report, Mass Arrests and Police
Brutality, is based on the findings of an Amnesty International delegation
that visited Jerusalem and northern Israel October 21-29. It ewas released on
November 10.In the report, the human rights organization strongly criticized
the procedures and treatment of those arrested over the past six weeks in
Jerusalem and northern Israel."Palestinians, including children, were often
arrested in their homes in the middle of the night in a highly intimidating
fashion," said Curt Goering, Deputy Executive Director of Amnesty
International USA (AIUSA) and a member of the delegationThe Amnesty
International report strongly criticizes the breaches in judicial procedures
regarding the arrest and detention of children, especially with regard to
Palestinian children."Instead of being summoned to the police station,
children were arrested as a matter of routine," said Goering. "During their
interrogation some children were reportedly subjected to psychological
pressure by being shouted at, insulted or threatened during interrogation. In
some cases children were reportedly beaten by the police."Examples of cases
brought to Amnesty International's attention and contained in the report
follow.Iyad Qaymeri, aged 17, and three other Palestinians were among a group
of young men and boys throwing stones in Shu'fat in East Jerusalem, when they
were arrested at 9.30pm on October 1. He was reportedly attacked by five
soldiers who pushed him to the ground shouting insults, kicking and hitting
him on his body and in his face. They were taken to what appeared to be a
military camp where they were hooded and forced to lie on the ground for
about two hours; from time to time someone would come and kick them or hit
them. The four were then taken to the Moscobiyyeh detention center in
Jerusalem. The night before Iyad Qaymeri's release on October 5, police
officers allegedly entered the cell and randomly beat 30 Palestinians under
the age of 18 being held there, while yelling insults at them.Yoav Bar, a
computer programer, described how immediately after his arrest during an
initially peaceful protest in Haifa on October 2 he was dragged by the legs
with his back dragging along the street for more than 50 meters by two police
officers while other police officers beat him with batons. He was beaten
again in a police car. He told the police that he thought his hand was
broken; the police refused to give him any medical treatment. Yoram Bar
Chaim, who protested at the treatment of Yoav Bar, was also arrested and
beaten. They were both released at about midnight. Yoav Bar's left hand was
broken in three places. Two of his ribs were broken and two of his front
teeth were broken. His back was also injured as a result of being dragged
along the street.In Kufar Kana, a Palestinian village in Galilee, Bakr Sa'id,
aged 15, was arrested on October 24 by a group of armed police who surrounded
his house at around 2:00 am. Four police officers, their machine guns ready,
entered the house, frightening the children and taking away Bakr Sa'id. He
was interrogated the same night with shouting and threats – which were also
heard by another detainee in the same station. The detainee said that when he
tried to speak later in court to Bakr Sa'id a police officer slapped the boy
in the face. Bakr Sa'id was released on November 3.Amnesty International
welcomed the Israeli government's announcement on November 9 that it would
set up a full judicial commission of inquiry under the 1968 Commission of
Inquiry Act to investigate clashes with the security forces in which Arab and
Jewish Israeli citizens were killed and wounded.However, the organization
warned that the investigations be thorough, effective and independent."The
commission should investigate all incidents of torture or ill-treatment by
security forces and any report must be made fully public," said Goering.
"Those responsible must be brought to justice."

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