200 Criminal Defense Lawyers Warn of Severe Rights Violations in Israeli Prisons

In a letter titled 'Severe Violation of Human Rights – Urgent Call from Criminal Defense Lawyers', about 200 criminal defense lawyers in Israel claim that in recent months they have received an unprecedented volume of complaints about the treatment of prisoners and detainees. The letter alleges that strip searches have become a frequent and routine measure, conducted in a degrading and humiliating manner, often without genuine need, sometimes with weapons drawn. It also claims that non-lethal means such as stun grenades, smoke grenades, tear gas, and rubber bullets are used inside prison facilities without adequate regulation, constituting unreasonable and disproportionate use of force against a vulnerable population. The lawyers further allege routine physical violence by prison staff, with no oversight, and that prisoners fear filing complaints or petitions due to potential retaliation. They call for widespread surprise inspections and a 'procedure sharpening operation' among prison guards. The Bar Association has requested an urgent meeting with the Prison Service Commissioner, R. G. Kobi Yaakobi, and the legal advisors of the Israel Prison Service.