Israeli soldiers --- who gang-raped
Palestinian abductee file lawsuit
for $6 million
September 5th, 10:54am
(PressTV)
Three Israeli reservists, who had gang-raped a Palestinian detainee
at the Sde Teiman military prison, are suing the Tel Aviv regime for
18 million shekels (roughly $6 million), after the army cleared
them of all charges earlier this year.
According to Israel’s English-language website Ynetnews, soldiers
from the Israeli military’s “Force 100” reserve unit, which is
responsible for the supervision of Palestinians abducted
during the Gaza genocide, have brought forth a lawsuit
through the right-wing legal aid organization, Honenu,
targeting 17 defendants.
The entities involved comprise the incumbent administration, the
army, the military police, and the Israel police, along with the
attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara.. the former military
advocate general, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, and Channel
12 journalist Guy Peleg, who was the first to air
footage of the assault.
The men were part of a group of five reservists who were indicted
in February 2025 for an assault that took place on July 5, 2024.
The indictment details that a blindfolded and handcuffed
Palestinian abductee held illegally in the Israeli prison
endured kicking, stomping, being beaten with clubs,
being dragged on the ground, and being tasered
multiple times, including on the head, for
around 15 minutes.
A soldier.. also inflicted a stab wound near the abductee’s
anus with a sharp object, resulting in a tear to his rectum.
The abductee sustained seven fractured ribs, a punctured
lung, and significant internal injuries, necessitating
surgery on his large intestine and the creation of
a stoma, which was subsequently removed.
The attack was recorded on video and was made public
when surveillance footage was leaked and aired by
Channel 12 in August 2024, leading to widespread
outrage in the Israeli-occupied territories and
around the world.
The UN human rights office described
the footage as “shocking.”
Israel’s military advocate general, Itay Offir, has dismissed
the charges against the five reservists... citing a “lack of
key evidence” following the abductee’s return to Gaza,
which he indicated had compromised the chances
of a fair trial.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his approval
of the decision, stating that Israel “must pursue its
enemies, not its heroic fighters.”
The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel stated that
the decision represented a “whitewash” that effectively
granted soldiers “a license to rape.”
Nearly six months after their acquittal, three reservists are
now seeking millions in compensation — effectively
demanding payment from the Zionist regime
that exonerated them for the rape of
a Palestinian man.
The conditions --- under which Palestinian abductees are held
by Israel are deplorable, with insufficient hygienic standards.
Additionally, Palestinian abductees have faced ongoing
torture, harassment, and repression.
Palestinian abductees have persistently engaged in
open-ended hunger strikes to convey their anger
regarding their unlawful detention.
Human rights organizations assert that Israel persists in
infringing upon all rights and freedoms afforded to
abductees under the Fourth Geneva Convention
and international laws.
As reported by the Palestine Detainees Studies Centre,
approximately 60 percent of Palestinian abductees
held in Israeli jails are afflicted with chronic
illnesses, with several of them having
died, either during their detention
or following their release, as
a result of the severity of
their conditions.
______________________________
Trump-appointed judge lets Pentagon
silence journalists --- who revealed
Iran war nightmare
September 5th, 9:40am
(PressTV)
A US federal judge has refused to block the Pentagon from
dismissing three journalists who exposed critical supply
shortages and deteriorating conditions aboard an
aircraft carrier deployed to West Asia, as the
US military struggles to sustain its war
against Iran.
US District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled on Friday that publisher
Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte
were unlikely to succeed in their claim that their dismissal
from Stars and Stripes, a military news outlet, violated
their constitutional free speech rights.
The journalists were fired days after publishing an August 11 report
detailing severe food rationing, contaminated drinking water,
broken sanitation systems, black mold and deteriorating
mental health among the 5,000 crew members aboard
the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The aircraft carrier had spent more than 250 consecutive days
at sea without a single port call, a modern record, supporting
US military aggression against Iran.
Their dismissal came as the Pentagon faces mounting scrutiny
over the sustainability of its naval adventurism in West Asia.
A New York Times investigation revealed that the US Navy's
regional supply network has been shattered since Iran
destroyed a key logistics base in Bahrain on the
first day of the war.
With regional ports now within range of Iranian missiles,
support ships must travel 2,200 miles to Diego Garcia
or 3,700 miles to Singapore for resupply.
The US Navy currently has approximately 20 ships deployed
in the region, carrying around 20,000 sailors and marines.
The fleet requires more than 420,000 meals and
8 million gallons of fuel - every week.
Warships now depend on complex at-sea resupply missions every
five to six days, and four of the Navy's 11 aircraft carriers are
already deployed to the terrorist war on Iran, according to
the Times.
Admiral Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations, has warned
that sustaining the current operational tempo is becoming
increasingly difficult, with only about a quarter of US
destroyers currently ready for deployment.
The prolonged war has placed extraordinary strain on
maintenance cycles, and several other carriers are
undergoing lengthy repairs in shipyards and will
not be able to deploy again - for years.
The Stars and Stripes journalists' reporting, prompted Navy
officials to order the carrier home, defying resistance
from the Trump administration.
Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to war secretary Pete
Hegseth this week citing..... "widespread reports of
shortages of basic supplies, water contamination,
plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health,
deck safety concerns, and disruptions in
the mail system" aboard the ship.
In his ruling, McFadden, a Trump appointee, said the
journalists were "unlikely to succeed" in their First
Amendment claim and had 'failed to demonstrate'
that they would suffer irreparable harm.
The judge wrote that the journalists were being dismissed
for giving pre-approved interviews as representatives of
their outlet, not for speaking as private citizens.
Lederer was fired after refusing an order from a
Pentagon official on August 12 to terminate
Slavin and Korte.
The Pentagon has significantly tightened its relationship
with the press under Hegseth. The war secretary has
not briefed Pentagon correspondents on the war
since May and has sought ------ to restrict
journalists' access to the building.
The case has raised concerns among press freedom
advocates about the Trump administration's lack of
willingness to tolerate independent reporting on
the military - as the war with Iran continues.
President Trump has described critical media coverage
of the war as "treasonous" and pressed officials to
pursue those responsible for leaks.
The New York Times investigation concluded that Iran's
attacks have not just been a direct military challenge,
but a calculated effort ----- to disrupt the supply lines
that sustain the US naval adventurism in the region.
The siege on the Navy's logistics network is placing
increasing pressure on operational capability and
raising the cost of maintaining a military
presence in West Asia, to potentially
unsustainable levels.
An attorney for the dismissed journalists said they
were "disappointed" with the ruling and would
continue with the broader lawsuit.
"Our clients are obviously disappointed and are
reviewing the opinion," the lawyer said in
a statement.
___________________________________________
Iran's judiciary chief calls on BRICS: to
prosecute perpetrators of war crimes
September 5th, 8:28am
(PressTV)
Iran’s judiciary chief has called on BRICS members to condemn
violations of Iran’s sovereignty and pursue those responsible
for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed
during the wars against the Islamic Republic, thus
invoking the principle of universal jurisdiction.
Speaking at the BRICS meeting of heads of judicial systems, in
New Delhi on Saturday, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei referred
to the “brutal aggression” by the US and Israel against Iran,
recounting that Leader of the Islamic revolution Ayatollah
Seyyed Ali Khamenei and 168 schoolchildren were killed
on the first day of the war.
“The Iranian people have paid a heavy price for their independence
--------- for many years,” Ejei said, adding that Iran has faced “brutal
aggression by the US and the Zionist regime” --- during the past
two years.
He said the attacks constitute an unlawful war in
violation of international norms and are not
merely a limited military confrontation.
“Many infrastructures and facilities --- including hospitals,
educational and cultural centres and residential areas -
were targeted, resulting in the death of large numbers
of civilians, including women and children,” he noted.
Ejei described the actions of the United States and Israel
as “clear instances of war crimes,” while criticizing the
international community’s failure.... to respond to
the violations.
Ejei said the issue extended beyond Iran, warning BRICS
members --------- that other countries could face similar
violations in the future.
“Today -- this may be Iran’s voice -- but tomorrow,
it may be the voice of any one of the countries
represented in this hall,” he said.
Ejei referred to the US military interventions in Afghanistan,
Iraq and, more recently, Venezuela, saying thousands of
civilians have been killed in the aggressions.
He also slammed Israel for killing more than 73,000 people
in Gaza and Lebanon, including women and children, and
forcing over two million people... to leave their homes.
Ejei -- urged BRICS members to take concrete legal and
political measures in response to violations of Iran’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“First, BRICS members should condemn the violation of
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran - in
accordance with international law, particularly
the UN Charter - and take the necessary
measures - to prevent the aggressors
from carrying out illegal actions,”
he said.
“Second, by applying the principle of universal jurisdiction, they
should prosecute those responsible for war crimes and crimes
against humanity committed during the 2 wars of aggression
against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.
Referring to BRICS’ role in shaping a new global order, he noted
that BRICS documents repeatedly emphasize mutual respect,
respect for countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity,
the peaceful settlement of disputes and adherence to
the UN Charter.
“BRICS, as one of the most important economic and political
coalitions, has an increasingly important role in shaping the
new world order,” Ejei said. “We seek an order in which no
power considers itself above the law. We call on BRICS
members --- to stand with the law.”
Ejei said the international community is witnessing
growing violations of national sovereignty, human
rights and international humanitarian law -- as
well as unilateral sanctions, and increasing
pressure against independent nations.
“Today’s world - alongside its scientific and technological
advances - is witnessing the expansion of aggression
against the sovereignty of countries.... widespread
violations of human rights and humanitarian law,
illegal and unjust unilateral sanctions, and
increasing pressure on independent
nations, by certain hegemonic
powers,” he said.
He called on judicial and legal institutions - to play a
more active role in addressing international crimes.
“Our judicial systems and legal institutions must not remain
indifferent to violations of fundamental human rights, the
killing of civilians, the forced displacement of peoples,
damage to infrastructure --------- and the impunity of
perpetrators of international crimes,” Ejei said.