July 2001, Summary

Torture of Palestinian Minors at the Gush Etzion Police Station

The report contains testimonies of ten boys, aged fourteen to seventeen, who were arrested between October 2000 and January 2001 on suspicion of throwing stones. In most of the cases, the Police arrested them at their homes in the middle of the late night and took them to the Police station in Gush Etzion, where Police interrogators tortured them until morning. The Police objective was to obtain confessions and information about other minors.

These are not isolated cases or uncommon conduct by certain police officers, and information received by B'Tselem raises the serious likelihood that torture during interrogations at the Gush Etzion Police station continues.

The methods of torture described in the report include:

• Forcing the minors to stand in painful positions for prolonged periods;

• Beating the minors severely for many hours, at times with the use of various objects;

• Splashing cold water on the detainees in the facility's courtyard in wintry conditions;

• Pushing the minor's head into the toilet bowl and flushing the toilet;

• Making death threats;

• Cursing and degrading the minors.