One month ago, on 12 November 2003, Jonathan Ben Artzi was convicted by the Military Court in Jaffa for disobeying an order by refusing to serve in the Israeli army. The Israeli military court in Jaffa is also hearing the cases of Noam Bahat, Adam Maor, Haggai Matar, Shinri Tsameret and Matan Kaminer, who are among more than 300 “Shministim,” or high school seniors, who refuse to serve in military forces involved in the occupation of Palestinian territories. Read more about Conscientious objection at stake
Over the past month, the International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by PCATI and Defence for Children International/Palestine Section (DCIPA), another member of the SOS-Torture network, of the alarming situation of many other Palestinian children in detention. OMCT is gravely concerned by the high number of allegations of unlawful arrests and detention, torture and ill-treatment of children while in police custody or in Israeli detention facilities, as well as the poor and often inhuman living conditions there. Read more about Torture and ill-treatment of child detainees
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) firmly condemns the wave of targeted assassinations by the Israeli defence against suspected terrorists since August 21st in the Occupied Territories. Read more about OMCT condemns the recent wave of targeted assassinations in the Occupied Territories
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Public Committee against Torture in Israel (PCATI), a member of OMCT network, that two Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons are being denied access to medical assistance in spite of their deteriorating health conditions and repeated requests for such assistance. Read more about Denial of access to medical care in Israeli prisons
PENGON, the Palestinian Environment NGO Network, a member of Habitat International Coalition - Housing & Land Rights Network and OMCT jointly call for immediate action against the wall’s construction. They ask you to take immediate action. Read more about Take Action against the Apartheid Wall
World Organisation Against Torture, The Palestinian Environment NGO Network (PENGON), Habitat International Coalition and Housing and Land Rights Network
6 August 2003
The Palestinian Environment NGO Network (PENGON), member of Habitat International Coalition - Housing & Land Rights Network and OMCT jointly appeal for an immediate stop to the wall’s construction. They ask you to take urgent action. Read more about Take action against the Apartheid Wall in Palestine
The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the world’s largest network of NGO’s fighting against torture, has written an open letter to Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon regarding its concerns about the use of ill-treatment and torture - including the use of various forms of torture that were outlawed by a 1999 Israeli High Court of Justice ruling - in Israel and the Occupied Territories. Read more about Open letter concerning the use of ill-treatment and torture on Palestinian detainees
Eric Sottas, director of the World Organization Against Torture sent a letter to Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon calling on him to order the immediate cessation of the use of Orders Prohibiting Meeting with Counsel and any other practices that increase the risk of torture and to take all measures necessary to ensure that the absolute prohibition of torture is recognised by Israeli law. Read more about Israel's use of "Orders Prohibiting Meeting with Counsel" increase risk of torture
Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation for Human Rights, Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network and World Organisation Against Torture
26 May 2003
Amnesty International, the Euro-Mediterranean Network for Human Rights (EMNHR), Human Rights Watch (HRW), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) are deeply concerned about the increase of Israeli restrictions against human rights and humanitarian workers. Read more about International rights groups decry increased harassment of monitors
The FIDH and the OMCT, in the framework of their joint programme the Observatory for the protection of Human Rights Defenders, express their deepest concern after Israel�s crackdown on human rights defenders in the occupied Palestinian territory as Israeli forces arrested several defenders, raided the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the West Bank and imposed new restrictions to foreigners for entry into the Gaza Strip. Read more about Recent crackdown on international human rights defenders
