(New York, Thursday September 9, 1999) -- Human Rights Watch today called on Yossi Beilin, Israel's minister of justice, to take immediate steps to prosecute all members of the General Security Service (GSS) who are responsible for torture. In a letter to Beilin, Human Rights Watch also urged him to introduce legislation clearly prohibiting torture and ill-treatment by the GSS.
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The High Court has taken an important step toward ending torture and ill-treatment in Israel. It's up to Minister Beilin to give the ruling teeth.
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"The High Court has taken an important step toward ending torture and ill-treatment in Israel," said Hanny Megally, executive director of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch. "It's up to Minister Beilin to give the ruling teeth."
The New York-based human rights organization noted that the ruling still fell short of the absolute prohibition of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment required by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Israel ratified in October 1991.
Megally noted that the ruling does not definitively outlaw torture or ill-treatment in all circumstances. The Attorney General can decide not to prosecute, the court can rule the torture "necessary," or the Knesset can pass legislation to make torture and ill-treatment legal.
Megally also noted that some Israeli legislators have already said that they intend to submit legislation to undercut the High Court's ruling. He urged Beilin to quickly submit legislation regulating the GSS to prohibit explicitly the use of torture or ill-treatment, and to ensure that any other draft GSS legislation meets this standard. Megally said the draft legislation should include a definition of torture fully consistent with international human rights law, as well as clear and public guidelines governing interrogation procedures.
The Human Rights Watch letter also urged Beilin to instruct the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute all individuals responsible for the torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment of prisoners.
