23 of the death penalty. Capital punishment should be replaced by other penalties. The Military Prosecution needs to launch serious investigations into claims of encroachments on the right to life committed by law enforcement personnel or inside detention centres. Investigations will also highlight deaths caused by the abuse of arms by these officials, particularly those affecting women, children, PWDs, and older persons. 2.1.2 The right to physical safety Complaints on the right to physical safety totalled 542, including 264 in the West Bank and 278 in the Gaza Strip. These compared to 445 complaints made in 2021. The ICHR received 47 complaints on the right to physical safety from females. These complainants claimed that they were verbally abused during interrogation and detention, when they demanded that protection be provided to them and their children from abuse by other citizens, being affected by the measures used to break up a fight, or being subjected to ill-treatment and arbitrary detention to force her to evict their houses. Involving children, 95 complaints were lodged to the ICHR. In the greater portion of complaints, children claimed that they had been subjected to torture or illtreatment while being interrogated by law enforcement personnel (other than the Public Prosecution) about thefts, drug trafficking, possession of firearms, promotion of pornography, or involvement in domestic disputes. A total of 21 complaints involving PWDs were filed to the ICHR. The subjects of these complaints ranged from assault and torture during house searches or while being interrogated or held in government detention facilities. Affected PWDs demanded that they be compensated for these infringements. With reference to the measures and actions taken to prevent torture and illtreatment, the State of Palestine did not introduce any changes in consistence with the United Nations Convention against Torture (CAT). The Law by Decree No. 25 of 2022 on the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture was promulgated. While it appreciated the action taken by the government, the ICHR and CSOs had many observations on the law by decree. In particular, numerous infractions run counter to the standards of independence and impartiality.5 In 2019, the State of Palestine submitted its initial report on the implementation of the CAT to the Committee against Torture. In July 2022, the Committee held several sessions to discuss the initial report as well as shadow reports submitted by the ICHR and other CSOs.6 5 These observations were made in the ICHR Shadow Report on the initial report submitted by the State of Palestine on the implementation of the CAT, July 2022. 6 Sessions 1921 and 1924 of the Committee against Torture, Geneva, 19 and 20 July 2022. For further information, see the Committee’s webpage and agenda. Executive Summary 2022