Full Breakdown
U.S.-Made Tasers Allegedly Used to Torture Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Detention Facilities
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Investigative reporting by *The Guardian* in partnership with the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism documented multiple accounts of Palestinian detainees being restrained and subjected to electric-shock weapons manufactured by Axon Enterprise (formerly Taser International). Prisoners described being tied, doused with water to intensify the shock, and then hit with a Taser-type stun device while held in Israeli prisons such as Ofer and Sde Teiman. The reports note that visible scar patterns remained months after release, and that at least one detainee suffered lasting visual impairment, spasms and fainting spells.
Background & Context
The allegations follow a broader pattern of reported abuse in Israeli detention centers. The United Nations Human Rights Office and Amnesty International have previously documented the use of electric-shock devices against Palestinian prisoners. The committee also highlighted sexualized forms of torture involving electric shocks to genitals and anus. Axon has continued to showcase its latest shock-weapon models to Israeli security agencies, including a conference in Israel in June 2025.
Data & Statistics
- Five additional accounts of electric-shock torture were identified by UN experts in the month of the UN Committee’s November 2025 report.
- The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims noted paired scar patterns on a detainee released in October 2025, indicating repeated shocks.
- A coalition of Israeli NGOs reported that 92 Palestinian prisoners have died in detention since October 7, 2023, while only one Israeli soldier has been prosecuted for mistreating Palestinian detainees.
Official Statements & Responses
An Israeli military spokesperson asserted that mistreatment of prisoners is strictly prohibited and that restraints, including any use of force, are employed only in “exceptional circumstances” consistent with Israeli and international law. The spokesperson did not address the specific allegations of electric-shock torture.
Criticism & Opposition
The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the alleged use of Axon-made equipment, describing it as “unconscionable” and urging the company to halt all contracts, shipments and servicing of stun weapons to Israeli authorities. Amnesty International has called for export restrictions on such equipment, citing the documented human-rights risks. Human-rights groups continue to press for accountability and for an end to the supply of electric-shock devices to Israeli detention facilities.