- thawra abukhdeir
Stop Lodging Detainees at Police Stations in Disgraceful Conditions
On September 8, 2022, ACRI petitioned the High Court of Justice to cease the blatant violation of detainees’ rights who have been lodged at police stations across the country in recent months and were compelled to sleep on the floors, in disgracefully overcrowded conditions, without regular access to a toilet, a shower, or medical treatment.
In the petition, ACRI claimed that confining detainees to holding cells at police stations—that are empty aside from a concrete or iron bench—beyond a few hours, and especially as lodging, is legally prohibited. Holding detainees at stations violates the minimal conditions put forth by the law: detainees do not receive a daily shower and conditions that enable them to maintain good hygiene; they lack sufficient access to medical treatment; they do not receive a hot meal; and they aren’t granted a daily walk outdoors. These conditions constitute cruel, inhumane, and degrading punishment, severely violating the most basic fundamental rights to dignity, health, privacy, and fair proceedings among detainees who are yet to be indicted.