Status of Human Rights in Palestine physical integrity committed by the Jericho-based JSC increased. ICHR has demanded in more than one occasion to reconsider the formation and legal foundation of such committee. In relation to accountability for the violations against the right to physical integrity, ICHR observed that the number of accountability cases performed this year regarding the violations against the right to physical integrity was far less than the number of alleged violations, noting that ICHR recorded an unprecedented case where a magistrate of Ramallah Court referred a number of police officers to the Military Public Prosecution because they were suspected to torture defendants who were brought before the court, which is a good step enforcing the criminal accountability against persons accused of committing torture and ill-treatment. 20 In line with its vision to protect and boost the right to physical integrity, ICHR recommended enacting a legal framework against torture, including criminal punishment for all forms of torture and ill-treatment, and expedite establishing the national preventive mechanism to prevent torture, as well as activate criminal accountability against those accused of committing torture and ill-treatment. 2.1.3 The Right to Personal Freedom and Security In 2017, the Decree-Law No. 16 of 2017 concerning the cybercrimes was issued. Such law includes many provisions that would undermine the right to personal freedom, the right to privacy and inviolability of private life of the citizens. ICHR and civil society organizations criticized the said Decree-Law and demanded cancellation thereof or making of essential amendments thereto in a manner that promotes the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to privacy and inviolability of private life. The Decree-Law No. 23 of 2017 concerning the Police was issued and it contained many provisions related to the regulation of the police service. However, the law did not regulate the judicial powers granted to the police, being law enforcement members, nor did it regulate the powers classified as preventive measures, such as the identification of persons, and the restrictions enforced on the right to movement, as well as precautionary imprisonment of individuals, preventive search, and seizure 23rd Annual Report 1 January - 31 December 2017

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