LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned horrifying testimony shared by Palestinian freelance journalist Sami Al‑Sai, who was allegedly subjected to torture and sexual violence while being held in Israel’s Megiddo Prison.
Al‑Sai, who has reported for Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera Mubasher and local station Al‑Fajer TV, detailed his account during a public forum organized by the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms in Ramallah on Sunday. He was released from prison in June this year.
Israeli authorities detained the journalist in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 23, 2024, and held him under administrative detention — a policy that allows suspects to be held without formal charges or access to evidence — on the grounds that he posed a “threat to national security,” Al‑Sai said in his testimony.
While in custody at Megiddo Prison, he described severe mistreatment, including beatings, blindfolding, shackling and humiliation. He testified that guards also sexually assaulted him in an incident involving the insertion of a hard object into his body.
In his account, Al‑Sai said he was taken by several guards to an area of the prison where he was repeatedly beaten and insulted before the sexual assault occurred.
Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director, described the allegations as “deeply alarming” and said they reflected a concerning pattern consistent with other testimonies from journalists detained by Israeli authorities. She added that the allegations “point to a troubling and systemic pattern of abuse,” and called for urgent independent investigations, full transparency and accountability for those responsible.
While CPJ said it could not independently verify the details of Al‑Sai’s testimony, the organization said that his account aligns with descriptions from other human rights groups of harsh conditions and mistreatment faced by Palestinians in custody.
The testimony comes amid increased international scrutiny of the treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Alleged mistreatment has surged since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023.
At least 9,300 Palestinians are reported to be held in Israeli prisons. According to CPJ records, about 30 Palestinian journalists are imprisoned in Israel as of Dec. 16.