הוועד הציבורי נגד עינויים בישראל

The law allows for the arrest of suspects for long periods without any judicial oversight, for deliberations to take place in their absence, and for the decision to extend their detention to be concealed from them

Three human rights organizations, The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel and  Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel withdrewtoday their principle petition that they submitted to the High Court of Justice (HCJ).  This was done in protest of the Court's unprecedented and invalid majority decision by the nine judge panel to base their decision on the constitutionality of a law on secret evidence presented by Israel's General Security Service (GSS) and heard ex-parte, in the absence of the petitioners. 

Three human rights organizations withdrew a principle petition in protest of the High Court's unprecedented and invalid decision to base their decision on the constitutionality of a law on secret evidence presented by Israel's General Security Service (GSS) and heard ex-parte.

High Court Judges pointed out (20.5.09) that because of PCATI's petition there have been recognizable improvements in the enforcement of the law to record confessions in the language of the suspect. 

The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) this morning petitioned the High Court of Justice demanding that it order the GSS to refrain from using shackling as an interrogation tool and, particularly, to refrain from shackling interrogees in degrading positions or in positions that cause pain, suffering, or that constitute torture.

On 6 July 2009, the High Court of Justice rejected the contempt of court motion filed by PCATI, HaMoked and ACRI on the violation of the HCJ judgement on torture of September 1999.

This petition deals with the Attorney General’s complete abstention from ordering the opening of criminal investigations against GSS interrogators suspected of torture and/or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (hereinafter: “ill-treatment”) of interrogees.