E/CN.4/2001/66 page 124 Israel 631. By letter dated 20 September 2000, the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received information alleging that torture and other ill-treatment is still being carried out by the Israeli security forces and police during interrogation, despite the September 1999 ruling of the Israeli High Court which determined that the systematic use of various interrogation techniques by the authorities was illegal. In particular, the Special Rapporteur transmitted information on the following individual cases. 632. Haled Jum’a Al Shami, from Dir El-Balah, was allegedly arrested on 31 December 1999 at the Erez checkpoint as he was leaving the Gaza Strip to go to work. After being transferred to Ashkelon prison he was allegedly subjected to torture during interrogation. He was forced into the shabeh position for continuous periods of between 12 and 36 hours. On approximately five occasions he was reportedly interrogated for 36 hours without sleep. His detention was reportedly extended on a number of occasions by a military court despite his appearing before the judge in a poor state of health. 633. Sadat Heil Bsharat was reportedly arrested on 10 February 2000 by the Ma’ale Efraim police. During interrogation he was allegedly subjected to violence and sexual abuse. His interrogators are alleged to have put a stick into his rectum which resulted in bleeding. 634. Abed El-Kader Mohammed Yussuf Zaharan was reportedly arrested on 9 April 2000 at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Dir Abu-Mashal. During interrogation he was reportedly seated in the shabeh position. Additionally he was allegedly deprived of sleep and kept in solitary confinement. Following his interrogation it is said that he made a confession in order to end his ill-treatment. 635. Ibrahim Mohammed Yussuf Zaharan was allegedly arrested on 10 April 2000. He was reportedly detained in solitary confinement and regularly interrogated for long periods in the shabeh position, during which his wrists were handcuffed and tied to his chair. He was alleged to be suffering from a tumour on his spleen for which he was not provided with medical treatment. 636. Mustafa Taufik Awad was allegedly arrested on 28 March 2000 at the Tul-Karem checkpoint when returning from work. He was reportedly interrogated by the General Security Service (GSS) in Ashkelon prison. During the first 20 days of his detention he was said to have been repeatedly interrogated for periods of between 15 and 20 hours per day in the shabeh position. He was reportedly kept in solitary confinement and deprived of sleep. 637. .Mohammed Ahmed Mohammed Abu-Tam’a was allegedly arrested on 17 February 2000. He was then taken to the Russian Compound in Jerusalem where he was reportedly interrogated for the next six days for 20 hours per day. He was forced into the shabeh position. On one occasion he was allegedly kicked and beaten by one of his interrogators. In addition, he is said to have been deprived of sleep and kept in solitary confinement.