הוועד הציבורי נגד עינויים בישראל

Right-Wing Attack on Human Rights Defenders and Dissent in Israel

Position Paper
April 2010
Introduction
The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) entered into force on 22 June 2006, as the culmination of decades of negotiations over the establishment of a worldwide system of torture prevention based on regular visits to places of detention.  To date, as many as 64 states have signed and 50 states have ratified or acceded to the OPCAT.

Thrusday, April 29, 2010 – Democratic values are important to the human
rights community in Israel. A new bill proposes to trample these
democratic values and undermine the ability to seek accountability for
human rights violations. It is with great concern that we respond to the
proposed bill: Associations (Amutot) Law (Amendment – Exceptions to the
Registration and Activity of an Association), 2010.

A global coalition of civil society organizations, ncluding PCATI, have urged members of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to support the recommendations of the Goldstone Report...

With the publication of the Goldstone Committee report today, human rights organizations in Israel are studying the report and its conclusions, and they call upon the Israeli Government to take the report seriously and to refrain from automatically rejecting its findings or denying its legitimacy.

Subsequent to the petition submitted by five human rights organizations led by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), the High Court of Justice today clearly stated that it is forbidden to use threats, false promises and charades that relate to family members of interrogees as a form of pressure in General Security Service (GSS) and police interrogations.

Special issue of PCATI's newsletter marking 10 years since the "Torture Ruling".

Ten human rights and social change organizations in Israel have publicly declared support for the organization "Breaking the Silence" (Shovrim Shtika).

PCATI Attorney Majd Bader was invited to the United Nations in Geneva to testify before the Goldstone Commission.

Seven human rights organizations based in Israel presented a report to the UN Fact-Finding team investigating allegations of war crimes during “Operation Cast Lead” in Gaza, led by Justice Richard Goldstone.