A problematic Israeli High Court dismissal of a torture complaint. A commentary by Hans Draminsky Petersen, MD

Authors

  • Hans Draminsky Petersen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v29i2.116128

Keywords:

Israel torture ill-treatment documentation definition Istanbul Protocol

Abstract

It is not for the documenting medical experts (Shir, 2019), but for the court to decide whether the level of pain and suffering inflicted reaches the threshold of torture [while disregarding ill-treatment], i.e., the court upholds the prerogative to apply its own interpretation of the definition of torture, no matter existing medical evidence and disregarding the Istanbul Protocol. The criteria used to determine the level of FT's pain and suffering does not appear in the ruling.

The ruling states that the burden of proof that the "means" were not reasonable [constituting torture] falls upon the petitioner (para 36). In the light of the above (1, a-h) this is in practice impossible for the petitioner to establish. This aligns with Shir’s statement that no ISA interrogator has been indicted in 1200 torture complaints.

References

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Pérez-Sales, P (2017). Psychological Torture. Abingdon, UK and New York, USA. Routledge.

Shir, E. (2019). How to say IP in Hebrew. The case of Mr. Firas Tbeish. Torture Journal 29(2), 89-94. https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v29i2.114967

Firas Tbeish et al. v the Attorney General et al., HCJ 9018/17 (2018), retrieved from http://stoptorture. org.il/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/F.-Tbeish- Ruling-Nov. 2018.ENG_.pdf

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from https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-tokyo-guidelines-forphysicians-concerning-torture-and-other-cruelinhuman-or-degrading-treatment-or-punishmentin-relation-to-detention-and-imprisonment/

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Published

2019-10-30

How to Cite

Petersen, H. D. (2019). A problematic Israeli High Court dismissal of a torture complaint. A commentary by Hans Draminsky Petersen, MD. Torture Journal, 29(2), 96–102. https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v29i2.116128