13.05.2026 20:30
Israeli lawyer Ben Marmarelli has alleged that Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons are subjected to systematic torture and sexual assault. Stating that his clients have been beaten, starved, and raped, Marmarelli claimed that different guards carry out the attacks, which have become systematic. The lawyer said his complaints have yielded no results, adding, 'No one is doing anything.'
Israeli lawyer Ben Marmarelli has made allegations of systematic torture and sexual assault against Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. Marmarelli stated that his Palestinian clients are regularly raped.
Speaking after a report published in the New York Times, Marmarelli described conditions in Israeli prisons as "very bad," saying Palestinian prisoners are subjected to torture through methods such as beating, starvation, being held in stress positions, and being denied hygiene and healthcare.
“Rape Has Become Systematic”
Marmarelli, who serves as a lawyer for Palestinian detainees, said that every time he visits, his clients tell him they have been sexually assaulted.
“If they are raped every time, it doesn’t mean it’s the same guard doing it. It’s carried out by different guards. This shows the situation is systematic,” Marmarelli said, arguing that this occurs with the knowledge of the Israel Prison Service.
“They Do It to Prevent Lawyer Visits”
Marmarelli expressed his belief that the sexual assaults against his clients are used to obstruct lawyer visits. He noted that one of his clients, after being repeatedly assaulted, asked him not to visit anymore. The lawyer also alleged that the prison administration kept him hungry and thirsty for hours and denied him access to the toilet.
“No One Does Anything”
Marmarelli, who stated he saw physical marks of violence on Palestinian prisoners with his own eyes, said that his criminal complaints have yielded no results.
Marmarelli said, “I saw not one but three detainees walking as if they had just been raped. I witnessed it, I reported it, but the files were closed.”
The Israeli lawyer argued that the methods used in Israeli prisons violate both international law and Israeli law.