[News] 300 Palestinian children in Israeli Prisons Suffer Inhuman Conditions

[News at freedomarchives.org]

DATE: 07/11/2004    TIME :13:15
300 Palestinian Children in Israeli Prisons


GAZA, November 7, 2004, (WAFA)- 300 children are imprisoned in Israeli 
prisons and detention facilities. Most of them are held within Israel 
proper, far from their place of residency, Palestinian Ministry of 
Prisoners' Affairs(MPA) said.
.
In a report issued on Sunday, MPA said that Israeli Occupation Authorities 
deprive Palestinian children of their freedom as a measure of last resort 
and for a minimum period of time (Article 37 of the CRC);the truth is that 
Palestinian children are being arrested as the first resort and imprisoned 
for long periods of time.
.
The Palestinian child prisoners are subjected to various forms of inhuman 
and cruel treatment-including beatings, sleep and food deprivation, 
position abuse (Shabeh), threatening language (including threats of death, 
sexual assault, and/or threats on his/her life or that of family members), 
and isolation-while undergoing interrogation by Israeli General Security 
Services, the Military Intelligence, or the Police. During interrogation, 
Palestinian children are denied contact with a lawyer or any relative. 
Lawyers are denied access during this period, and it is in fact very 
difficult to find out where a child is being held, according to the report.
.
The Palestinian child prisoners are tried before and sentenced by Israeli 
military courts, although the Palestinian National Authority has a juvenile 
justice system that can deal with children in conflict with the law. The 
Israeli military courts implement military orders and not juvenile-related 
legislation.
.
Disproportionate imprisonment sentences are the only treatment disposition 
rendered by the Israeli Military Court. There is a Palestinian child who 
has been sentenced to life imprisonment, 3 children are sentenced to15 
years, 4 children sentenced to 5-9 years, the report said.
.
Regarding financial bills, the Israeli military courts of Ofer and Salim 
impose financial bills on sentenced child prisoners. Since the beginning of 
year 2004, 75% of sentenced children have been financially billed.
.
As for sick child prisoners, MPA records show that among the child 
prisoners, there are 30 sick children. The sick prisoners are denied access 
to medical care and at the same time the Israeli authorities do not 
medically serve them. The records show that 41.6% of these diseases have 
resulted directly or indirectly from the deteriorating unhealthy and 
inhuman incarceration conditions.
.
In general, child prisoners do not receive adequate and appropriate medical 
treatment. Paracetamol is prescribed for every disease. The prison 
authorities do not address themselves to the poor hygienic conditions in 
the children's cells. Scabies, an infectious disease, is present in most 
prisons. The children, who are frequently transferred from one prison to 
another, continually transmit the disease to each nprison. The prison 
authorities do not follow the doctors' instructions for disinfecting the 
cells and the bedding, the report revealed.
.
S.A.S.(13:00P)-(11:00GMT)

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