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Arab League demands investigation into Palestinian inmate’s death in Israeli jail

Deceased Palestinian prisoner Nassar Taqatqa (Photo via Twitter)

The Arab League has demanded an international investigation into the death of a Palestinian prisoner in solitary confinement at a detention facility in the Israeli-occupied territories, stressing the incident attests to the excessive level of psychological and physical abuse of Palestinian inmates.

The Arab League assistant secretary general for Palestine and occupied Arab territories, Said Abu Ali, said in a statement on Thursday that the 22-member regional organization holds Israeli authorities fully responsible for the well-being of all Palestinian prisoners being held in the Tel Aviv regime’s jails.

This file picture shows Nitzan Prison in the Israeli-occupied territories.

He warned against the slow murder of Palestinian detainees – the last of whom was 31-year-old Nassar Taqatqa of Beit Fajjar town, located eight kilometers south of Bethlehem. Taqatqa was found dead in his cell at Nitzan Prison on Sunday weeks after his arrest.

Abu Ali then called for the formation of an international inquiry committee to ensure the accountability of Israeli officials for this new crime, which he said adds up to the list of crimes already perpetrated against Palestinian people, including prisoners.

He also called upon international human rights organizations and institutions to play their humanitarian and legal roles in protecting prisoners and confronting Israeli authorities' utter disregard for international conventions and human rights principles, in the view of their obligations defined in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Geneva Convention.

Earlier, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates had called for an international investigation into Taqatqa’s death.

The ministry, in a statement released on Tuesday, urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to form an international investigation committee to look into the reasons for the death, and to provide legal and political protection to all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

“The indifference by the international community, its organizations and special councils toward Israeli violations and crimes encourage the occupying power to insist on committing such atrocities.

“The martyrdom of Taqatqa in interrogation cells demands an immediate action by the International Criminal Court and the opening of an official investigation into the crimes of the occupying power in order to pursue and prosecute Israeli war criminals,” the ministry pointed out.

Some 7,000 Palestinians are currently behind bars in 17 Israeli prisons and detention centers, according to reports.


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