PA Must End Torture and Arbitrary Detention in West Bank, UN Rights Office Demands

The UN Human Rights Office said the Palestinian Authority must immediately end torture, ill-treatment, and arbitrary or unlawful detention of Palestinians in the West Bank. It warned that detainees are reportedly being held “for security reasons,” including journalists, dissidents, and political activists. The UN said many detainees were detained under a law the Palestinian Supreme Constitutional Court ruled unconstitutional. It also cited cases where detainees—including children—were held despite court orders requiring their release, and described reports of beatings, stress positions, solitary confinement, and “shabeh” suspension.