OKI Encourages Israel To Investigate Crimes In Palestinian Prisoners

Israel's aggression in Gaza since October 7 left 34,454 Palestinians dead and 77,575 others injured. (UnOCHA-Ismael Abu Dayyah)

JAKARTA - The Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) calls for an international investigation into the increasing acts of violence and serious violations committed by the Israeli occupation of many Palestinian prisoners.

"The OIC has requested an immediate international investigation into the cruel conditions and persistent Israeli violations of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons," the OIC said in an official statement on its website quoted in Jakarta, Friday, August 2, during a statement.

The OIC declares crimes against Palestinian prisoners as war crimes and crimes against humanity, and openly violates the standards and regulations set by international humanitarian law, the Human Rights Charter, the Minimum Standard Rules for Enforcement of Prisoners, and other relevant international agreements.

The gross abuse has been well documented by various legal entities and includes actions such as execution, torture, hunger, rape, isolation, and forced removal.

The OIC noted a significant increase in the number of Palestinian prisoners with the current number exceeding 9,700 people. Among them are 80 female detainees, 52 journalists, and more than 250 children. Then, more than 3,380 people were detained in administrative detention without official or court charges.

Not only that, nearly 600 prisoners are serving life sentences and many other prisoners are still killed but their identities have not been disclosed.

The prisoners from the Gaza Strip were severely affected, resulting in the deaths of eighteen Gaza prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons since October 7, 2023, the organization said.

Therefore, the OIC urges the international community and human rights organizations to take action to force Israeli authorities to treat Palestinian prisoners in accordance with international conventions.

"OKI reaffirms its support for the rights of Palestinian prisoners and their resilience, and promises to convey their suffering to the global community in an effort to realize freedom and justice," he said.