GENEVA, April 2, 2026 (WAFA) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Alice Edwards, expressed deep concern on Thursday over Israel’s approval of a law imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners, warning it could lead to grave violations of international law, including the absolute prohibition of torture.

In a statement, Edwards said that the death penalty is rarely applied without causing severe suffering that may violate the prohibition of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

She warned that discriminatory application of criminal law between Palestinians and Israelis would constitute unlawful discrimination and could heighten the risk of torture and abuse.

The expert added that selectively applying the death penalty on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, or political opinion represents a clear form of harmful discrimination, undermining fundamental guarantees of equality before the law.

Edwards also raised concern that the law could weaken due process safeguards, increasing the risk of wrongful convictions, including those based on coerced confessions or torture.

She further cautioned that in systems where allegations of torture and ill-treatment in detention and during interrogation are well documented, introducing or expanding the death penalty carries an irreversible and serious risk, closing the door to remedy in cases where convictions may have been obtained under coercion or abuse.

She stressed that the death penalty is incompatible with human dignity and has not been shown to have a deterrent effect, warning that its irreversible nature makes any error catastrophic.

M.N