On Sunday 6 March 2011, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights began a specialized training course entitled ‘Medical Professionals' Role in Detecting and Combating Torture’, held at the Al-Quds International Hotel in Gaza City.
About thirty medical professionals participated in the course.
 The training is part of a project that aims to combat torture in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, implemented jointly by Al Mezan, Adalah and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and supported by the European Commission.
  Waleed Ad-Dahnoun, the project lawyer, explained that the course aims to enhance medical professionals' knowledge of the Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the options for redress for victims of torture under Palestinian, Israeli and international law.
Moreover, the training aims to strengthen health professionals’ skills in detecting and reporting torture incidents.
  The course introduces participants to international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law, given that torture is included in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The course also introduces participants to the CAT and ways of combating torture in both Israeli and Palestinian law.
In addition, it seeks to enhance participants' skills in monitoring and documenting torture and writing effective reports, make them aware of and able to detect the physical signs of torture and teach ways to help victims of torture psychologically.
  The course is 24 hours to be delivered over four days by a team of Al Mezan trainers and experts from Palestinian universities and civil society.
End PROJECT FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION JOINT PROJECT OF ADALAH, AL MEZAN (GAZA) AND PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS-ISRAEL     The contents of this press release are the sole responsibility of Adalah, Al Mezan and PHR-I and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.
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