Israel court sentences soldier to ‘woefully inadequate’ 7 months in jail for abusing Palestinian prisoners

The Israeli military court has sentenced a reserve soldier to seven months imprisonment after he was found guilty of “abusing and torturing” Palestinian prisoners at the Sde Teiman military base.

Israeli media outlets reported yesterday that since the soldier has already spent around 80 days in pre-trial detention, he will now return to prison for around four and a half months.

The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) called the sentence “woefully inadequate” for deterring such conduct.

The Israeli occupation army reservist was convicted of committing brutal acts of torture against Palestinian prisoners while serving as a guard in the notorious Sde Teiman military base.

The army said the soldier confessed to physically assaulting Palestinian prisoners using his fists and weapons while they were handcuffed and blindfolded. He also forced them to recite anti-Arab and pro-Israel slogans. Videos of the abuse were found on his smartphone. Other soldiers witnessed the abuse.

While the court described the soldier’s actions as “serious and in violation of military rules,” it claimed a plea bargain was accepted after considering the soldier’s actions in light of his personal circumstances and his acceptance of responsibility following a mediation process.

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