RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian rights organizations on Tuesday launched an international campaign aimed at documenting and combating sexual violence against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.
Campaign coordinator Youssef Al-Amayreh, who was released in January after spending two years in Israeli custody, said the initiative had already collected dozens of testimonies from former detainees alleging sexual violence and abuse.
“Unfortunately, dozens of male and female prisoners do not dare to stand up and speak out, either for health reasons or security reasons, or because of social considerations,” said Amayreh, alleging that he had himself been sexually abused in detention.
Amayreh, a resident of the village of Al-Burj in southern West Bank, did not give details of his own experience, but displayed boxes of medication he said he began taking after his release.
He said the campaign aimed to “expose the crimes committed against detainees” and end Israel’s “policy of impunity.”
