Abusing Asylum Seekers In The Sinai: Israel - Hostages, Torture And Rape
16 March 2011By
Stephen Lendman
A new Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR-I)
report discusses atrocities committed against
sub-Saharan Africans seeking refugee status in Israel.
Titled "Hostages, Torture, and Rape," it explains the
ordeal experienced by 284 victims.
PHR-I said its Open Clinic treats about 700
status-less people monthly. About a year ago, many
women asked for abortions. Conversations determined
they were raped in the Sinai en route to Israel.
On December 14, PHR-I published a report describing
their ordeal, based on interviews with first-time
patients. After publishing it, dozens more interviews
were conducted. This report follows up, based on 284
interviewed victims, as well as more information
gotten by human rights activists and groups globally.
Regional turmoil compounds the situation further.
Recent Release Eritrea information, an Egyptian-based
human rights organization, said that five Northeast
Sinai prison facilities were evacuated, prisoners
released without identity papers, complicating their
status gravely.
Included are about 200 Eritreans and Ethiopians. Some
reached Israel. Egypt re-imprisoned others. Many were
caught by human trafficking gangs. They're now in
captivity held for ransom.
Agenzia Habeshia said about 190 Eritrean and Ethiopian
refugees are at two Sinai torture camps, traffickers
demanding up to $10,000 each to release them.
Testimonies gotten reveal horror stories of violence
and rape. PHR-I believes other Sinai camps operate the
same way.
Of the asylum-seekers treated at PHR-I's Open Clinic,
59% said they were imprisoned under close guard and/or
chained, 52% saying they experienced extreme violence.
Two-thirds reported severe thirst, 88% saying they
lacked food and nearly starved.
Violence reported included punching, slapping,
kicking, and whipping. Others described torture,
including burial in the sand, electric shocks, hanging
by one's hands and legs, burning with white-hot iron
bars, prolonged sun exposure, and other types of
burning. About 15% have scars and other bodily signs
showing abuse.
One victim said:
"They tied me and beat me up every day. I have scars
all over my body - above the eye, on my back. They
tied me feet upwards and beat me on the heels. I broke
an arm and several fingers. Since then, they did not
heal so well. To me, Sinai was hell on earth."
Another said:
"Those who couldn't pay were held in a container, kept
in chains and beaten constantly. Four treated this way
died, including children. We started out as a group of
12 people who arrived in Sinai, and I know of only
eight who made it to Israel. I don't know what
happened to the other four...."
Some victims were so traumatized, it was hard for them
to relate their experiences, especially women, raped
or otherwise sexually abused. Shame and guilt affected
them even though they were victims, helpless to stop
it.
One woman, however, said:
"I was raped repeatedly....under gunpoint over a
period of five months. I became pregnant as a result.
When I arrived in Israel, I was sent to a prison
facility. I was depressed and threatened to commit
suicide if they wouldn't let me have an abortion. When
I was released, I went to PHR-I's Open Clinic."
Despite many dozens of similar reports, Israel has
done nothing to help victims, PHR-I saying:
"We find the silence of the Ministries in charge of
Health and Welfare particularly exasperating, as they
failed to take prompt action to ensure the health and
rehabilitation of these torture victims."
It's unsurprising in a country practicing torture as
official policy, an issue a previous article
addressed, accessed through the following link:
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2008/08/torture-as-official-israeli-policy.html
Israel does so in violation of the UN Torture
Convention, the Geneva Conventions, Geneva's Common
Article Three, other international laws, and Section
277 of its own 1977 Penal Law, prohibiting torture by
providing criminal sanctions against using it.
Against long odds, PHR-I asked the Ministries of
Health and Welfare to grant social residency status to
refugees and asylum seekers. "In so doing so, the
Minister will give (victims) access to the public
health system."
It can be done easily and quickly without legislation,
requiring only ministerial authority. However, Israel
won't help Palestinians, and for years treated
non-Jewish immigrants and asylum seekers harshly.
Despite events across the region, PHR-I asked Israel
to act. It also asked members of the international
community to extend their help.
So far as known, no actions have been taken, and
likely won't be. In countries like Israel, non-Jews
aren't welcome, especially poor immigrants and asylum
seekers.
A previous article discussed human rights in Israel
and Palestine, including how migrants and asylum
seekers are treated, accessed through the following
link:
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2009/03/human-rights-in-israel-and-palestine.html
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached
at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog
site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on
the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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