A United Nations human right expert on Wednesday called for an international investigation into the death of Palestinian prisoner Arafat Jaradat while undergoing interrogation in an Israeli facility.
Richard Falk, UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said the need for outside, credible investigation was more urgent than ever in this case as Israel had shown a pattern and practice of prisoner abuse. "The best approach might be the creation of an international forensic team under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council," Falk said.
Falk said that Israeli officials initially claimed that 30-year-old Jaradat died of a heart attack, but preliminary autopsy findings did not include a cause of death, while Palestinian Authority's chief pathologist Saber Aloul, who observed the autopsy, found there were clear signs of torture on the body.
"As an occupying power, Israel has special responsibilities under international humanitarian law to deal humanely with Palestinians held in detention, and the international community has similar responsibilities to ensure that these are carried out," he said.
Arafat Jaradat, a Palestinian gas station attendant, died in an Israeli prison less than a week following his arrest by the Shin Bet security service on suspicion of hurling rocks at Israeli civilians.
Tensions escalated in the West Bank as thousands of Palestinian prisoners launched a hunger strike Sunday over the death of Jaradat.