ZGram - 10/26/2002 - "Israeli commander charged with torturing Palestinian youngster"

[irimland@zundelsite.org]

ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny

October 26, 2002

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

Imagine that this poor kid is your son - and analyze your feelings!

[START]

Commander charged with torturing Palestinian boy

Chris McGreal
Tuesday October 22, 2002
The Guardian

An Israeli army commander has been relieved of his post after being 
charged with torturing a young Palestinian boy in Bethlehem while 
interrogating him as to the whereabouts of his father.

Lieutenant Colonel Geva Saguy is awaiting a court martial on several 
charges, including ordering the boy to strip naked, holding a burning 
paper under his testicles, threatening to ram a bottle into his anus 
and threatening to shoot him. The boy's name and age have not been 
revealed.

A military court was told that Lt Col Saguy was trying to obtain 
information about the boy's father - described as a "wanted 
Palestinian" - during the army's invasion of Bethlehem in April. Lt 
Col Saguy was charged with extortion, behaviour unbecoming an officer 
and exceeding his authority to the point of endangering human life.

He was relieved of his post on the orders of the military court after 
it turned down a request for the charges to be thrown out. The army 
had resisted the move for several months.

A sergeant is accused of translating Lt Col Saguy's threats into 
Arabic and of beating the youth.

The Israeli army says Lt Col Saguy was reported by other officers who 
declined to serve under him after his maltreatment of the Palestinian 
boy.

[END]

(Source:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,816593,00.html )