Ramallah - The Magistrate’s Court of the Palestinian Authority extended the detention of five young Palestinians for further interrogation. These extensions apply to the following detainees: Basil Al-Araj (33 years old), Mohammed Harb (23 years old), Haytham Siyaj (19 years old), Mohammed Al-Salamen (19 years old) and Ali Dar al Sheikh (22 years old). Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association’s attorney confirmed that the detainees were subjected to different forms of ill-treatment, including sitting in stress positions (Shabah), sleep deprivation, continued interrogation, beating all over the body, insults and denial of using bathroom – which they reported to an attorney during the court hearing. Since the arrest of the five young men, they have been denied access to attorney visits, despite having previous confirmation to the attorney that he would be able to enter. The Palestinian police forces have arrested three of them (Basil Al-Araj, Mohammed Harb and Haytham Siyaj) on Saturday night, near Ramallah, after which they were taken to Intelligence Unit in Ramallah.  The other two young men were arrested a week before.

Addameer considers the actions of the Palestinian Security Forces to be in contravention with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as well as the Convention Against Torture (CAT), both of which the Palestinian Authority is a party. These treaties prohibit the use of torture and ill-treatment against detainees and affirm the right of individuals to fair trial guarantees. Addameer condemns the use of torture and ill-treatment under any circumstances and considers this to be a non-derogable norm, to which individuals must be held accountable. Addameer holds that the Palestinian Authority must comply with the conventions to which it is a party, especially considering the ongoing deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied territories.