Accra:Palestinian prisoner institutions called for the repeal of the death penalty law affecting Palestinian prisoners, alongside the immediate and unconditional release of all male and female detainees, and independent international investigations into allegations of torture, medical neglect, and killings inside Israeli prisons and detention centers.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, a statement was issued by these institutions on the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty. They highlighted that Palestinian prisoners are enduring severe conditions described as a systematic campaign of killing and elimination since the onset of a genocidal conflict. Israeli prisons and detention centers were identified as key locations for inflicting physical and psychological torture.
The institutions claimed that the death penalty within Israel's legal framework has transcended legislative provisions or postponed bills, becoming embodied in daily practices against prisoners through slow-killing policies and direct and indirect liquidation. These include torture, systematic starvation, denial of medical care, isolation, degrading treatment, and extrajudicial executions.
They reported that these harsh conditions have resulted in the deaths of at least 92 identified Palestinian prisoners and detainees since October 2023. The period is described as the deadliest in the history of the Palestinian prisoners' movement. Additionally, they noted a significant number of detainees from the Gaza Strip who have allegedly been executed in the field or died under torture in prisons and military camps, with their identities undisclosed.
As part of an escalation, the Israeli Knesset on May 11, 2026, approved a bill in its second and third readings to prosecute certain detainees, referred to as 'elite prisoners,' in a special military court. This court would handle cases involving serious crimes, including genocide.
The prisoner institutions called on international states, governments, parliaments, and unions to take a firm stance against legislative and judicial bodies that facilitate policies undermining the right to life. They also urged a reassessment of cooperation, representation, and institutional relationships with these bodies, aligned with international obligations to prevent grave crimes and uphold human rights.