Public Committee Against Torture v. State of Israel
Israel Supreme Court
H.C. 5100/94 (Sept. 6, 1999)
Relevant factsFree
Israeli authorities issued directives authorizing the General Security Service to use physical interrogation methods -- including violent shaking, painful stress positions, and sleep deprivation -- against terrorism suspects, arguing these methods had helped thwart imminent attacks and were justified by the criminal-law necessity defense in urgent "ticking time bomb" situations; the Public Committee Against Torture (plaintiff) petitioned to prohibit these methods entirely.
IssueFree
Whether the Israeli government or the heads of its security services possess the authority to authorize the use of liberty-infringing physical means during the interrogation of suspects.