Submitted by crinadmin on
In this submission, DCI/PS provides information under Section C of the Human Rights Council’s Guidelines for the Preparation of Information under UPR, namely Promotion and Protection of Human Rights on the Ground: Implementation of international human rights obligations Key Words: right to life and security of the person; children; torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; settler violence; human shields. The 35-page submission covers several topics including 1- Torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment Key issues: DCI/PS is concerned that nine years after the Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) ruled in Public Committee Against Torture in Israel v The State of Israel (1999) (the torture ruling) that interrogations must be free of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and that these prohibitions are absolute, these practices continue to be employed against Palestinian adult and child detainees, before, during and after interrogations 2- Israeli settler violence Key issues: DCI/PS is concerned by the growing incidence of acts of violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers on Palestinian civilians and the concurrent and ongoing construction of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Assaults generally consist of beatings, shootings, stone throwing, or hit-and-runs. DCI/PS directly investigated 11 cases of settler attacks committed against Palestinian children in 2007. However, in reality, attacks take place almost daily, and the vast majority remain unreported and/or unpunished. Topic 3: Human shields Key issues: DCI/PS is concerned that despite the HCJ ruling banning the use of Palestinians as human shields by the Israeli army in October 2005, incidents are still reported episodically. The use of civilians as human shields also constitutes a war crime. DCI/PS documented four cases of children used as human shields in 2007. Together, DCI/PS, B’Tselem and Al-Haq documented at least six child cases and 10 adult cases of Palestinians used as human shields by the Israeli army throughout 2007. However, investigations are rarely carried out and perpetrators remain unpunished. Recommended Questions to Israel: Topic 1: Torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment 1. How is Israel’s use of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment against children consistent with the provisions of the CAT and the CRC, both ratified by Israel; and when will Israel enact effective legislation fully incorporating the provisions of CAT into domestic law? Topic 2: Israeli settler violence 4. What measures will Israel adopt to ensure that Palestinians living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, especially children, are protected from settler attacks and that all such attacks are thoroughly and impartially investigated and those found responsible are brought promptly to justice? Topic 3: Human shields 5. What measures will Israel adopt to ensure that all cases involving human shields, especially children who benefit from special protection under international humanitarian law, are thoroughly and impartially investigated and those found responsible are brought promptly to justice? SEE: A Child Rights UPR Toolkit for NGOs Further Information UPR: Child rights extracts from the reports of the Working Groups More reports by Defence for Children International/ Palestine Section
More on Children's Rights in Israel More on Children's Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
2. When will Israel enact effective legislation that unambiguously prohibits the admission into evidence of all material obtained by means of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment?
3. What measures will Israel adopt to ensure that all cases involving allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, especially of children, are thoroughly and impartially investigated and those found responsible are brought promptly to justice?