Report accuses Israel of torture

JERUSALEM, June 24 (UPI) -- The Public Committee against Torture in Israel Tuesday accused the army and security services of torturing and abusing Palestinian detainees.

Details of the report's findings were published in the media Wednesday.

"The practice of shackling may be used by the various authorities as a tool for dehumanizing Palestinian detainees subject to the control of the occupying power," the committee said.

The report alleged Palestinian detainees are shackled from the minute they are detained, transported and interrogated, "with their hands tied behind their backs ... in many cases the cuffing is excessively tight."

The use of cuffing the report said is not only used to prevent detainees from escaping but also an attempt to break their spirit.

Responding to the charges made in the report, the Israel Security Agency said in a statement that "in the event a detainee suffers from pain, the complaint is fully investigated and the detainee informed of the outcome," The Jerusalem Post reported.

The Israeli army also issued a response to the allegations, issuing a statement which said, the army operates in accordance with international law and Israeli law and observes all the rules regarding the detention of terror suspects, "who endanger the security of Israel and its citizens."

The PCTI said it based its findings on 547 arrests mostly in the past year. The report was published ahead of the United Nations International Day in Support of Torture Victims to be marked internationally on Friday.