Key facts
- A UN human rights body declared the detention of Gaza doctor Hussam Abu Safiya arbitrary.
- The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for Abu Safiya's immediate release and reparations.
- The UN body found Israel's actions contravened international human rights laws.
- Rights groups and Abu Safiya's lawyer warn his life is in imminent danger due to alleged abuse in Israeli custody.
- Israel's Supreme Court has ordered the government to respond to a petition concerning 14 detained Gaza doctors by next Tuesday.
A United Nations human rights body has declared the detention of prominent Gaza doctor Hussam Abu Safiya to be arbitrary, calling for his immediate release and reparations. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention stated that Israel's actions contravened multiple articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The group also expressed broader concerns that the case might indicate a widespread or systematic practice of arbitrary detention in Israel.
Rights groups and Abu Safiya's lawyer have warned that his life is in imminent danger, with allegations of daily brutal abuse and severe injuries sustained in Israeli custody. His lawyer reported that the doctor, formerly the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, is almost unrecognisable and struggles to breathe and sit up, fearing for his life.
Previously, Israel's Supreme Court ordered the government to respond by next Tuesday to a petition filed by Physicians for Human Rights Israel and other organizations concerning the release of 14 detained Gaza doctors, including Abu Safiya, who has reportedly been held for over 18 months without charge. The Israel Prison Service has previously rejected allegations of mistreatment.