On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, PCATI expresses its hope that the values represented in the Declaration will indeed be realized in the coming year. PCATI wishes all its friends and supporters, a happy Eid Mubarak, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and a peaceful New Year. |  NEWS
| The GSS violates the HCJ judgment by granting a-priori permition to torture detainees The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and HaMoked, theCenter for the Defence of the Individual (HaMoked)filed a contempt of court motion to the High Court of Justice against the government of Israel and its head, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and against the General Security Service (GSS) and its head Yuval Diskin for their responsibility for the policy that grants a-priori permits to use torture in interrogation that fundamentally violates the High Court of Justice decision of September1999. The motion was filed on November 11 by Adv. Avigdor Feldman, a member of PCATI’s board of directors.The motion claims that more so than the fact that the GSS and the Prime Minister, who is directly responsible for the GSS, show contempt for Israel's highest judicial authority, it is true that the contempt involved is particularly egregious, consistent and systematic and is enshrined in directives and procedures. Such continuous and systematic contemptuous behavior necessitates exceptional enforcement measures of the High Court's ruling: the arrest and prosecution of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the head of the GSS, Yuval Diskin and the imposing of a fines against the government of Israel and the GSS. |
 Press Release  Motion (in Hebrew)
| | The Ministry of Justice refuses to give us vital information concerning the handling of complaints of GSS interrogees | PCATI and the Movement for Freedom of Information appealed to the Jerusalem District Court on October 22 demanding to receive information regarding the handling of complaints filed by GSS (General Security Service) interrogees relating to ill treatment, torture and illegal forms of interrogation. The petition addresses the person responsible for the implementation of the Freedom of Information law at the Ministry of Justice and was submitted due to the fact that the Ministry of Justice failed to provide the above information for a lengthy period of time. The organizations demand that the Court order the provision of information concerning the following subjects: the number of cases that were not investigated by the Police Investigations Department, and that were closed on the basis of the "necessity defense"; the manner in which the Official in Charge of Detainees Complaints (the "Mavtan") handles complaints of GSS interrogees and closes these files; complaints that were submitted to the Attorney General and have not (or not yet) been transferred to the Official in Charge of Detainees Complaints; information concerning meetings of the "Mavtan" with the complainants and the process by which he reports his findings to his supervisor at the State Attorney's office and/or to other officials; the directives regulating the powers of the Official in Charge of Detainees Complaints and the request to publish these directives | To the full story (in English) and petition (in Hebrew) | PCATI submitted a List of Concerns to the UN Committee Against Torture PCATI, in September, submitted a List of Concerns to the UN Committee Against Torture. PCATI also plans to submit a full alternative report to the Committee prior to its review in May 2009 of the compliance of the State of Israel with its obligations to the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. A report issued by the UN Secretary General and prepared by the UN Human Rights Commission, states, on the basis of PCATI's findings, that the treatment of complaints on torture and ill treatment by the Israeli authorities is basically flawed and inefficient. | For the full List of Concerns The report issued by the UN Secretary General | The Laws of War: Second film in a PCATI Social TV joint project In commemoration of the December 10 International Day of Human Rights, we will be broadcasting the second film of the joint PCATI Social TV series on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) on the subject of the Laws of War. The following programs will present additional aspects of IHL with a specific focus on the laws of occupation and on the issue of torture. An additional series of films will present a critical look at the way that the official and commercial media reports on events in the Occupied Territories. The programs may be viewed on PCATI's website, the Social TV website, on websites of other social change organizations and on video sharing websites. They will also be broadcast on the community TV station "Mi'Ka'n", channel 98 on cable and satellite. | To the film (in Hebrew) 
| Judge Advocate General informs the High Court that he will not amend the indictment in the shooting of a bound Palestinian in Ni'lin | On 4 November 2008 the Judge Advocate General Brig. Gen. Avichai Mandelblit informed the High Court of Justice that despite the court's suggestion that the prosecution consider filing more serious charges against Lt. Col. Omri Borberg and Staff Sgt. L. in the case involving the shooting of a bound and blindfolded Palestinian in Ni'lin he decided to leave the indictment as it is. Attorney Dan Yakir of the Association for Civil Rights stated on behalf of the petitioners – the Association for Civil Rights, B'Tselem, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, and Yesh Din – that "We regret that despite the severe criticism voiced by the High Court the JAG remains firm in his opinion that abuse of a bound Palestinian detainee by a senior officer and shooting him is at most unbecoming conduct. The High Court now has the task of determining the appropriate response for such serious acts. To the video on B'tselem website | | | |
| | | Events | | | Tel Aviv exhibiting Closes | On 18 November 2008, PCATI's exhibition "Silence Over the Abyss: On the silence of the Israeli public in the face of oppression" closed. The exhibition, held at the Artists House in Tel Aviv, presented works of art by prominent artists Lahav Halevy, Activestills, Sharif Waked, Gunilla Skold Feiler, David Tartakover, Alex Levac, Sigalit Landau, Avi Mograbi and Dror Feiler. The curators of the exhibition were artists David Reeb and Miki Kretsman, and PCATI's Executive Director, Ishai Menuchin. Most of the works of art exhibited were created specifically for this project. Over one thousand people attended the opening of the exhibition on 25 October 2008 that included a unique musical performance. An additional 1500 people viewed the exhibition during the following three and a half weeks. Some took part in guided tours led by David Reeb, a well know artist and one of the exhibition's curators. Among participants in these tours were pupils from the Tel Aviv Arts High School, the Tel Aviv Science and Art Yeshiva, the Tel Aviv Nature school, art students from various institutions and Jewish high school graduates from South America who are taking part in special programs in Israel. The public took part in the four public events PCATI held at the exhibition: A gallery talk was held in collaboration with Physicians for Human Rights on the "Silence of the Physicians" with PHR's founder and president, Dr. Ruhama Marthon, PHR's Executive Director, Hadas Ziv and journalist and human rights activist, Gideon Spiro. A discussion of Avi Mograbi's fil "Z32" that was screened as part of the exhibition was held in collaboration with Breaking the Silence (Shovrim Shtika), Avi Mograbi, film lecturer Tali Zilberstein and Noam Hayot from Breaking the Silence. A gallery talk was held in collaboration with Shatil on the unrecognized villages in the Negev. Speakers included Sultan Abu Obeid, co-Director of Shatil in the south, Professor Oren Yiftachel, head of the planning team at the regional council of the unrecognized villages in the Negev, Labad Abu Afash, chairman of the local council of the unrecognized village Wadi El-Naam. The closing event, held in collaboration with "Etgar" publishers who published the book "Act of State: a Photographed History of the Occupation 1967-2007", included a discussion with Dr. Ariela Azulai, editor of the book, Miki Kretsman, photographer and one of the exhibition's curators, and Dr. Ishai Menuchin, PCATI's Executive Director. The moderator of the discussion was Hagit Keisar. Persons who will show their support for PCATI by joining "Friends of PCATI" will receive a gift catalogue of the exhibition | | The Exhibition moves to Jerusalem | | Following the success of the exhibition in Tel aviv, the exhibitiowill shown during the month of January at the Barbur art gallery in the Nahlaot neighborhood in Jerusalem. Additional details concerning dates, opening hours and special events that will be held during the exhibition will be published soon. | | New educational film series to be held in Jerusalem | Following the success of PCATI's first film and human rights series, a new educational film series will be held titled "Bad things Happen when Good People Keep Silent". The series will again be held at the Kerem Institute, 7 Avida Street, Jerusalem, once a month on Fridays, at 10:00-13:00. The meetings will be held on January 9, February 13, March 13 and April 3. An expert will give a background talk at the beginning of each session and, after the film, a lecture and discussion will be held led by Tali Zilberstein, a lecturer on film. Those interested in participating are asked to register ahead for the film series. The nominal fee for the series is 50 NIS which will be used to cover part of the program's expenses. The series will present films that were not shown in the previous series. Along with newcomers, participants of the first series are invited to also join this program. For additional details and registration please contact:
Yoav Loeff
Tel: 02-6429825, extension 117
Mobile: 054-3368434 | | | | a new anti-spam law | On December 1, 2008 a new anti-spam law comes into effect in Israel which requires agreement to receive advertisements from commercial bodies. As PCATI is not a commercial body and the purpose of the material we send is not commercial, and not aimed at gaining a profit, the law does not apply to us. However, If you no longer wish to receive email from this list, please unsubscribe by clicking link at the bottom. |
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