UN REF: A/HRC/57/NGO/233

DATE: 12 September 2024

TITLE: Torture and Deaths of Palestinian Detainees in Israeli Custody Post October 7, 2023

Written statement submitted by The Palestinian Return Centre Ltd, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status. Human Rights Council Fifty-seventh session, 9 September–9 October 2024, Agenda item 3, Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development.

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Press Release

Geneva: PRC Report on the Situation of Palestinian Detainees Included in Human Rights Council Documents

London – The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) announces that its report, “The Situation of Palestinian Torture and Deaths of Palestinian Detainees in Israeli Custody Post October 7, 2023”, has been accepted as part of the official UN documents for the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, agenda item 3 (Ref: A/HRC/57/NGO/233).

The report provides comprehensive evidence of human rights violations against Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons since the escalation of the conflict on October 7, 2023. It details instances of torture and inhumane treatment, including beatings, electric shocks, sleep deprivation, and sexual violence. The report also documents the deaths of at least 53 detainees under troubling circumstances, raising serious concerns about the lack of transparency and independent investigations from Israeli authorities.

The PRC urges swift international action to address these violations. The report calls for immediate access for international observers to Israeli detention facilities, independent investigations into all reports of abuse and deaths, and the release of detainees held without charge or trial. Additionally, the report demands an urgent review of Israeli detention practices to ensure compliance with international law, particularly in stopping the unlawful transfer of detainees from occupied Palestinian territories.

The full report, along with its detailed findings and recommendations, is now available for download on the PRC website.

This report was developed in collaboration with the International Foundation for Solidarity with Prisoners (Tadamon), highlighting the ongoing joint efforts to address the grave conditions faced by Palestinian detainees.