Well, well, this reminds me of Iraq, perhaps the Bush Administration learned this little trick from Israel. Hide the torture chambers, Shhhhhhhhhh,mums the word.......
Not so fast, the UN wants to see them.
The United Nations anti-torture committee has demanded access to an Israeli secret prison where torture is allegedly being practiced.
The UN Committee Against Torture in Geneva prepared a document on Israel's record on torture on Tuesday and called on Tel Aviv to release information on the alleged "Facility 1391" which is situated in an "undetermined location within Israel and which is not accessible to the International Committee of the Red Cross or detainees' lawyers or relatives."
"Allegations of torture, ill-treatment and poor detention conditions in this facility have been reported to the committee," read the document.
The committee said it had received reports according to which "Palestinian detainees are subjected by Israeli security officials to acts in violation" of the anti-torture convention, including beatings, sleep deprivations and sharp twisting of the head.
The committee is scheduled to publish a report on Tuesday's hearing on May 15.
According to reports, Palestinian detainees were kept in solitary confinement in cells that ranged from 3 to 6 square meters with no windows or access to daylight or fresh air.
Several reports from at least eight NGOs, including B'Tselem, Hamoked Center for the Defense of the Individual, Physicians for Human Rights and Amnesty International, have been received this year by the committee over Israeli violations of the UN Convention Against Torture. source
