Press Release- International Forensic Pathologist: Palestinian held by Israel, Arafat Jaradat
Tortured & Dies as a Result
08.04.2014
The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and Al - Haq Issued
Joint Press Release With Findings of Leading International Forensic
Pathologist: Palestinian Detainee Arafat Jaradat Suffered Torture in Israeli Custody And That
The Torture Led To His Death At the Megiddo Prison
PR Originally Released on 2 April 2014
In advance of an Israeli Magistrate Court hearing in the matter of Mr. Jaradat, due to take place
today, Dr. Sebnem Korur Fincanci, an internationally recognized expert in Forensic Pathology, is
providing her expert opinion to the Court. According Dr. Fincanci's findings, Arafat Jaradat was
severely beaten while in detention, resulting in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, which
caused his death in Israeli custody on 23 February 2013. Background Following Mr. Jaradat's
death: "At the [Israeli] National Center for Forensic Medicine, an autopsy was performed on the
body of Arafat Jaradat by Prof. Yehuda Hiss, in the presence of Prof. Arnon Afek, Director of the
Health Administration at the Ministry of Health, and Palestinian pathologist Dr. Saber Aloul."
(From: Israel Ministry of Health statement).
Dr. Korur Fincanci, relying on the autopsy data and analysis provided by the Israeli forensic
authorities and pointing to the various bruises visible in the pictures taken of the corpse by the
Palestinian police prior to burial, concludes that the autopsy findings actually “are indicative for
blunt trauma with a long and thick object” and are not consistent with resuscitation efforts. The
immediate cause of death is lung oedema leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome, both
of which “are highly consistent with timing of previous injuries that should be within 1-3 days
prior to his death.” Dr. Korur Fincanci's findings dispute Israel's official expert opinion, which
stated the cause of death as "natural." The Palestinian forensic expert concluded that Mr.
Jaradat's death is attributable to torture.
In the past, allegations have been raised of widespread torture in Israeli prisons and detention
centers. At least one Palestinian death in Israeli custody has previously been confirmed as a
result of torture (Abd al-Samet Harizat, 26/04/1995) and many other deaths in custody are
strongly suspected to be a result of torture. Torture is not a criminal offense under the Israeli
criminal code and to date no criminal investigations have ever been opened in cases involving
allegations of torture.
Dr Korur Fincanci has been a medical doctor for 31 years and a forensic medicine specialist for
27 years. Dr. Korur Fincanci contributed to the drafting of the Istanbul Protocol, "Manual on the
Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment," which is an official and internationally authoritative United Nations
document. Her extensive research and publications include work on hunger strikes, on
postmortem interval (time of death), on human rights violations in specific countries as well as
on diagnostics of torture in cooperation with psychiatric and neurological faculties. Her
expertise is internationally recognized and has been called for in numerous cases of alleged
human rights violation such as the exhumation of mass graves in Bosnia and in the examination
of allegations of summary executions in the Philippines.
For more details, contact:
PCATI Executive Director, Ishai Menuchin, PhD: 02-642-9825; 054-335-5373 (Int.: +972-2-6429825; +972-54- 335-5373);
Al-Haq Communications and Advocacy Officer: 0599-427-490; 02-295-4646/7/9 (Int.: +972-599427-290; +972 (2) 2954646/7/9)