Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons: Accounts of sexual torture and organ trafficking.
Torture as a ‘Farewell Gift’
Nasim al-Radhi, one of the freed prisoners, told The Guardian that Israeli guards at Nafha prison in the Negev desert threw him to the ground and brutally beat him as a ‘farewell gift’ before his release. He described the act as a ‘military fist salute.’
Al-Radhi’s first image of Gaza after nearly two years in captivity was ‘blurry’ because a soldier’s boot had hit his eye, causing him to lose his vision for two days. This injury was added to a long list of health issues he had suffered during his detention.
Al-Radhi, a 33-year-old civil servant, was arrested in December 2023 and spent more than 22 months in captivity, including 100 days in an underground cell. Like many others, he was never charged with a specific crime. He described the prison conditions as harsh, stating, “This beating was not an exception, but part of a systematic system of abuse.”
According to al-Radhi, the guards used tear gas and rubber bullets to intimidate prisoners. The overcrowded cells and unsanitary conditions led to untreated fungal and skin diseases. The tragedy deepened when, after his release, he learned that his wife and all but one of his children had been killed during his captivity.
Torture with Sound, Hunger, and Disease
Muhammad al-Asliyyah, another 22-year-old student who was released, reported contracting scabies in prison, saying, “There was no medical care.” He described dirty mattresses, unsanitary surroundings, and contaminated food. He also mentioned a torture method known as “disco,” in which music was played continuously and loudly. He stated that prisoners were often hung from the walls, doused with cold water, and sometimes had pepper powder poured over them.
Both prisoners experienced severe weight loss; al-Radhi went from 93 to 60 kilograms, while al-Asliyyah at one point dropped from 75 to 42 kilograms.
“Let Him Die”: Disregard for Human Life
Akram al-Basyouni (45) also provided a horrifying account of the prison in Sadi Tayman. He said, “When we begged for help for the severely beaten prisoners, the guards would respond indifferently: ‘Let him die.’ Then they would wrap the body in a bag and take it away.” According to him, prisoners were beaten with batons and fists, attacked by dogs, and burned with boiling water.
“I Came Back from Hell”
Freed journalist Imad al-Afranji described his experience by saying, “I was in Guantanamo. I came back from hell and from death.” He explained that he was tied up with painful plastic handcuffs, subjected to stun grenades, attacked by police dogs, and beaten by dozens of soldiers.