Horrors unveiled: 'Megiddo' prison's reign of torture and abuse

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Jan 2024 19:45
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After October 7, dozens of testimonies have emerged describing the brutal acts carried out by the Israeli suppression units involving acts of torture and brutal abuse on all Palestinian prisoners.

Invading Israeli soldiers detain blindfolded Palestinian men in Gaza. (AFP)

The Palestinian Prisoners Club, in a statement handling the violation at Israeli occupation prisons, said that the "Megiddo" prison is one of the most notorious places where Palestinian detainees experience severe torture and abuse, similar to the situation witnessed in al-naqab prison, especially after October 7, 2023.

According to the Club, the "Megiddo" prison is considered one of the central prisons where the Israeli occupation detains Palestinian prisoners.

After October 7, dozens of testimonies emerged from detainees describing the brutal acts carried out by the Israeli suppression units involving acts of torture and brutal abuse.

Among the systematic torture mentioned in detainees' testimonies were brutal raid operations, along with extremely harsh detention conditions.

At the outset of the violent crackdown on Palestinian prisoners and detainees after October 7, several detainees, including leaders in the Captive Movement, were transferred to "Megiddo" prison, specifically to solitary confinement following episodes of severe torture and brutal beatings.

The conditions of imprisonment in solitary confinement are even worse than ever before, as they include the denial of visits from the detainees' families and the deprivation of any means to keep them informed about external events. Israeli prison authorities have also removed all electronic devices, including TVs and radios, as per the Club.

In addition to the brutal and horrifying attacks within the prison, the administration persists in its policy of starvation, adversely affecting the detainees' health, as noted by the Palestinian Prisoners Club.

Furthermore, the intense cold has significantly worsened their conditions, compounded by the denial of adequate clothing and blankets. The severe overcrowding in the sections adds another layer of hardship.

Horrific testimonies of abuse emerge from 'Megiddo' prison

Three Palestinian prisoners were killed in "Megiddo" prison due to torture, abuse, and medical negligence—namely, Omar Draghma from Tubas, Abdul Rahman Mari from Salfit, and Abdulrahman Bassem al-Bahsh from Nablus, as per the Club.

The Club added that one of the initial and significant testimonies originating from "Megiddo" prison came from the detainee (A.H.). He narrated gruesome details about the beating operations, particularly the deliberate targeting of sensitive areas of the body, emphasizing the concentration of beatings on the head and back. The prison was likened to Abu Ghraib prison-- one of the world's worst, most notorious detention facilities under the US occupation of Iraq.

The released detainee also divulged that most inmates in the cells sleep on the floor. No category of detainees, including children, was spared from the beatings. Additionally, detainees are subjected to insults and offensive language during the assaults.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club noted that all individuals who sustained injuries due to torture and abuse in prison did not receive medical treatment. They were victims of medical negligence, as underscored in one of the testimonies detailing the circumstances surrounding the martyrdom of the prisoner Abdulrahman Bassem al-Bahsh.

It is worth noting that Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza reported on Thursday, citing accounts of released Palestinian detainees, that the Israeli regime "exposed prisoners to low temperatures as a means of coercing them to make false confessions" by placing them in iron caravans with refrigerators set at -20 degrees.

The correspondent added that the families of prisoners "know nothing about their sons who were arrested by the IOF in the northern parts of the Gaza Strip."

UN official: IOF stripped detainees in Gaza, beat and humiliated them

The head of the UN's Human Rights office in Palestine, Ajith Sunghay, stated on Friday that "Israel" is mistreating Palestinian detainees in Gaza, reporting meetings with detainees who described how they were held for weeks, beaten and blindfolded, with some even released in diapers.

He added that it is not clear exactly how many men had been detained by "Israel" since it began its war on Gaza, but he emphasized that the number ran into the thousands.

"These are men who were detained by the Israeli security forces in unknown locations for between 30 to 55 days," Sunghay told reporters in Geneva by video link from Gaza, adding that he met released detainees.

"There are reports of men who are subsequently released, but only in diapers, without any adequate clothing in this cold weather," he described.