Amnesty attacks acquittal of occupation soldiers involved in 'Sde Teiman' crimes: A shameful decision that perpetuates impunity

Amnesty International strongly condemned the decision by the Israeli military prosecutor to drop charges against five soldiers accused of ill-treating and sexually assaulting Palestinian prisoners in the 'Sde Teiman' military detention center. The organization described this action as an unforgivable new chapter in a long history of impunity for occupation forces for violations committed against Palestinians.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, the organization's research and policy director, affirmed that this decision reflects the deliberate inability of the Israeli judicial system to prosecute crimes falling under international law. She noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's welcome of this step proves that international justice is the only remaining path for Palestinians to obtain their rights and hold perpetrators accountable.

These criticisms come at a time when evidence and human rights reports documenting the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment, including systematic sexual violence, against Palestinian detainees have been increasing since the start of the widespread aggression on the Gaza Strip. The organization stressed that the 'Sde Teiman' detention center has become a symbol of egregious violations, where prisoners are held in inhumane conditions and completely isolated from the outside world.

According to data provided by Amnesty International, only one Israeli soldier has been convicted of torture, despite hundreds of testimonies and documents confirming widespread violations. The organization considered that the absence of serious prosecution encourages soldiers to continue their repressive practices without fear of legal consequences.

The organization revealed a shocking statistic indicating that at least 98 Palestinians have died while in Israeli custody since October 2023. It explained that these deaths occurred in the complete absence of independent or transparent investigations, and with continued prevention of international observers and the International Committee of the Red Cross from accessing detention centers.

Guevara-Rosas warned that the world cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the deprivation of any form of justice and fairness for Palestinians. She called on states party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to provide full support for ongoing investigations into crimes committed within Israeli detention centers to ensure that victims' rights are not lost.

For his part, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Abdullah Al-Zaghari, described the decision to cancel the indictment against the five soldiers as a 'green light' for practicing rape and torture against prisoners. Al-Zaghari affirmed that this trend was not surprising to the prisoner movement given the clear complicity between the security apparatus and the judicial system of the occupation.

The details of the case date back to July 2025, when prisoners in the 'Sde Teiman' detention center were subjected to brutal torture, which in one case resulted in a detainee sustaining serious injuries and a rectal tear due to sexual assault. Despite the heinous nature of the crime and its medical documentation, the military prosecution decided to close the file and acquit those involved.

Data from the 'HaMoked' Center for the Defense of the Individual indicates that the occupation authorities currently hold about 9,446 Palestinians in their prisons, most of whom live in harsh conditions lacking the minimum international standards. Human rights organizations confirm that the policy of impunity has become an official policy adopted by the Israeli government to protect its soldiers from international prosecution.

Amnesty International concluded its statement by warning that dropping the charges sends a dangerous message that torture and sexual assault can go unpunished if the victim is Palestinian. It called for real international pressure to open Israeli prisons to UN oversight and to stop the physical and psychological abuses that detainees are subjected to daily.

The decision falls within the long history of the Israeli judicial system in granting impunity to perpetrators of serious crimes against Palestinians.