The Independent Commission for Human Rights - ICHR 61 assaulted a student in the Ramallah area. Another two claims were lodged against the MoH, three against the Public Prosecution, eight against the National Security Forces, and eight against the Military Intelligence, and one against the Military Intelligence agency. In the Gaza Strip, claims of encroachments on the right to physical integrity included 47 against the Internal Security, 27 against correction and rehabilitation centres, and 16 against the MoSD on account of a violation committed at the Ar-Rabee’ Institute for Social Reform Care. One claim was made against the Gaza-based Public Prosecution. Of particular note, 11 claims of abuses of the right to physical integrity were made against so-called University Police personnel, who assaulted a number of Al-Azhar University students. The ICHR demands that the University Police unit be dissolved and that persons responsible for the assault on students at the Al-Azhar University be held to account. Chart 6: Offending agencies by complaint Claimed violations of the right to physical integrity 350 320 300 250 200 194 150 100 50 0 28 47 11 Civil Police -Civil Police - General Preventive Internal West Bank Gaza Intelligence Security - Security - West Bank West Bank Gaza 67 27 9 35 Correction Correction JSC - West centres - centres Bank Gaza West Bank Other agencies Measures taken to prevent abuses of the right to physical integrity 2.1.2.52.1.2.5 Measures taken to prevent abuses of the right to physical integrity The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) obliges States parties The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) obliges States parties to estabto establish a National Preventive Mechanism against Torture (NPM). This is a key lish a National Preventive Mechanism against Torture (NPM). This is a key preventive tool against tool against torture and ill-treatment. guarantees the independence torturepreventive and ill-treatment. Requiring guarantees for Requiring the independence offor their members, NPMs are of their members, NPMs are vested with the power to make unannounced visits to detention vested with the power to make unannounced visits to detention centres and prison facilities. This centres prison to facilities. Thisincidents procedure contribute to preventing incidents of 2017, procedure canand contribute preventing of can torture and ill-treatment. On 29 December torture and ill-treatment. Onthe 29OPCAT. December State of Palestine to theenacted, the State of Palestine acceded to To2017, date, the however, a NPM law acceded has not been OPCAT. To date, however, a NPM law has not been enacted, nor has a NPM been created nor has a NPM been created on the ground, negatively impacting actions to prevent torture and on the ground, impacting to preventaccountability torture and ill-treatment. to in such ill-treatment. Owing negatively to poor criminal andactions administrative of persons Owing involved poor criminal and administrative accountability of persons involved in such offences, many offences, many detainees and convicts continue to be tortured and ill-treated by security agencies in detainees and convicts to be tortured and ill-treated by security agencies in both both the West Bank and the continue Gaza Strip. the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Together with several civil society groups, the ICHR continued to visit detention centres and prisTogether with several civil society the ICHR continuedand to visit detention ons, monitor detention conditions, assessgroups, the situation of detainees prisoners, and centres make sure that and prisons, monitor detention conditions, assess the situation of detainees and prisoners, and make sure that they are not subjected to torture or ill-treatment. These visits provide a Twenty Seventh Annual Report 2021 preventive measure against torture and ill-treatment. Additionally, in accordance with the Penal Procedure Law and Law on the Correction and