Abbas orders security forces to abide by ban on all forms of torture

As reported earlier this week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has decreed that all of the relevant agencies under his authority must abide by the provisions of the Basic Law and other laws which prohibit all forms of torture and degrading treatment, and any behaviour that affects human dignity.

The text of the decree is as follows:

Instructions

Stressing on the obligation to prohibit all forms of torture, based on our commitment to the provisions of the amended Basic Law of 2003, as amended, and in the light of the report of the Independent Commission for Human Rights No. 18 for the year 2013,

Based on the powers vested in us, and for the public interest, we have issued the following instructions.

First: We stress on all the authorities related to arrest, detention and investigation that they abide by the provisions of the Basic Law and the relevant laws that prevent forms of torture, and prohibit degrading treatment and ban the behaviour that affects human dignity; and we stress on the respect for international conventions, charters, treaties and international declarations related to the respect for human rights, so as to highlight the civility of the Palestinian people.

Second: We stress that the relevant authorities shall take all necessary measures to activate and develop the work of monitoring tools to ensure the implementation of these instructions and the abidance by the relevant laws.

Issued in the city of Ramallah on 14/05/2013

Mahmoud Abbas
President of the State of Palestine
Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation