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account of their non-violent political activity, and without being
informed of the evidence against them.

Impartially and effectively investigate all complaints and reports of
torture of detainees. The methods and findings of such investigations
should be made public. The highest authorities of the Israeli
Government should make clear to all law enforcement personnel that
torture and ill-treatment will not be tolerated. They should be
informed that this prohibition is unconditional and, as stated in the
UN Declaration against Torture, exceptional circumstances such as a
state of war, internal political instability or any other public
emergency may not be invoked as a justification of torture or other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The rules of
international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflict confirm
the prohibition.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MISSION TO ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES CALLS FOR JUDICIAL INQUIRY INTO ABUSES

A mission from Amnesty International said in Jerusalem today (Tuesday, February 23) that it was urgently calling for a full, independent judicial inquiry into the "extensive range of human rights violations" by Israeli security forces since the Palestinian demonstrations began in December.

Head of mission Clayton Yeo, of Canada, said the scale and severity of the abuses demanded an impartial and comprehensive inquiry and that piecemeal investigations by the IDF would not suffice.

"Questions must be answered about central government encouragement of punitive or deterrent beatings, the legality of orders to soldiers and the adequacy of established methods of investigating reports of abuses by Israeli security force personnel," Yeo said.

The inquiry Amnesty International was calling for should look into every single death at the hands of security force personnel since December 9 to find out exactly what had happened and to determine whether excessive force was used.

It should investigate "vicious and often indiscriminate" beatings in custody which had resulted in broken bones and other grievous injuries and in some cases in deaths, according to claims made by the International Committee of the Red Cross earlier this week.

Also to be examined were maltreatment and degrading treatment of Palestinians in places of detention, and summary trials which had "denied justice" to detainees convicted in military courts.

The terms of reference of the inquiry should include the methods of riot control used by the authorities, the system of accountability for the use of lethal ammunition, whether existing guidelines were adequate and to what extent they were followed.

Yeo said these would be among the questions the mission would be discussing with senior military officials in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv this week.

He said the mission had also come for further information on Human Rights violations in Israel and the

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occupied territories. Those of the past two months had been a "particularly grave development" of a pattern Amnesty International had been monitoring through 1987. Early in December an Amnesty International delegate had visited the country to look into scores of allegations of beatings of Palestinians during 1987 and had received many sworn testimonies. In mid January 1988 the' organization had sent another delegate, to Gaza.

Yeo stressed that Amnesty International was aware of positive steps taken or promised by the Israeli authorities in response to recent events he noted particularly reports of the Attorney General's letter to Defense Minister Rabin calling for it to be made clear to soldiers that it was illegal to beat demonstrators after they had been arrested.

(End)

For further information on human rights violations in Israel and the Occupied Territories contact:

AIUSA Washington Office

608 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, D.C. 20002

(202) 544-0200

APPENDIX 3

REPORT ON THE ECONOMY OF ISRAEL, DATED JANUARY 15, 1988 (SUBMITTED BY THE AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT)

The Honorable Claiborne Pell

Chairman

Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Mr. Chairman:

Pursuant to Section 1205(b) of the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1985, as amended, please find enclosed the Israel Economic Report. The report discusses economic conditions prevailing in Israel that may affect its ability to (a) meet international debt obligations and (b) stabilize its economy. The report also discusses the role the United States has played in helping Israel to met these two objectives.

Enclosure: a/s

Sincerely,

Kalley C. Kommen

Kelly Kammerer
Director

Office of Legislative Affairs

REPORT ON THE ECONOMY OF ISRAEL

Agency for International Development

Bureau for Asia and Near East

Washington D.C. 20523

January 15, 1988

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