“Humiliation and mistreatment” of Palestinian prisoners: a “routine exercise” in Israeli prisons

“Men almost naked, handcuffed behind their backs, lying on their stomachs, with dogs barking over their heads”… This may seem like a painful and violent scene, but in Israeli prisons, it has become a “normal sight.”

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Photos and videos obtained by the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz,” filmed by Israeli prison guards, show dozens of prisoners being mistreated in this position. However, the prison service did not deny or justify the scene, merely stating that it is a “routine exercise.”

Megiddo Prison

Even though there was no unusual incident in the prison that would prompt the guards to take this action, the Israeli prison service forces on Friday handcuffed and humiliated detainees in the security section of Megiddo Prison, despite no unusual events occurring inside.

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The prison service responded by saying it “maintains an operational routine for the safety of prison inmates and the public.”

According to the newspaper, in this case, and as part of an intelligence-gathering operation, soldiers from the “Nahshon” unit raided terrorist cells, searched them, and confiscated weapons and prohibited materials. However, none of the alleged weapons seized during the exercise were presented.

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In many cases, detainees and prisoners in Megiddo Prison reported being subjected to violence and severe abuses by the prison guards, including kicking, punching, striking sensitive areas, and other forms of humiliation.

Torture and Humiliation

Since the war broke out, Palestinian detainees in the security wing, as well as those holding Israeli citizenship, reported being beaten by the guards and forced to sing, often while handcuffed, as a form of humiliation.

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Last December, a prisoner testified in court: “They take us to a blind spot where there are no cameras, and they welcome new prisoners by beating them.”

The detainees also reported being forced to wear the same clothes for weeks and only receiving new clothes when another prisoner was released, at which point they were given the departing prisoner’s old clothes, including underwear.

A senior official in the prison service confirmed to “Haaretz” that the institution is aware of the severe violence directed at detainees and prisoners in Megiddo Prison.