[News] On Human Rights Day: Israeli Occupation Continues to Carry Out Mass Arrests of Palestinians and Subject them to Abuse
Anti-Imperialist News
news at freedomarchives.org
Thu Dec 10 10:16:37 EST 2015
*_On Human Rights Day: Israeli Occupation Continues to Carry Out Mass
Arrests of Palestinians and Subject them to Abuse_*
Occupied Ramallah - 10 December 2015 –This year, Palestinians mark
International Human Rights Day mourning over *118 Palestinians
*including *25 children* who were killed by IOF in the past two months.
Palestinians mark this day following two months of nonstop violence and
widespread human rights violations by Israeli Occupation Forces against
the Palestinian civilian population in response to a popular uprising in
the occupied territory. Today, over *6,500 Palestinians* remain
imprisoned by Israeli occupation including at least *450 children*, *587
Palestinians held under arbitrary administrative detention* without
charge or trial and *five members of the Palestinian Legislative Council*.
In the past two months, Israeli Occupation Forces have escalated
oppressive policies and practices against Palestinians in the occupied
territory in a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights and
freedoms. Since the beginning of October IOF has been conducting a mass
arrests campaign in the occupied territory whereby over *2,200
Palestinians* were arrested including at least *390 children* as well as
*247 Palestinians* who were placed under administrative detention
without charge or trial. Addameer continues to monitor the Israeli
occupation’s daily policies of arbitrary arrest and detention of
Palestinians, the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment as well as
the extrajudicial executions of Palestinians by IOF forces. These
policies are aimed at imposing collective punishment against
Palestinians for their uprising against Israel’s oppression and outrages
against their fundamental rights and inherent dignity which
International Human Rights Law aims to preserve.
*No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention*
Under *Article 3* and *Article 9* of the *Universal Declaration of Human
Rights*, all human beings have the right to liberty and the right not to
be subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention. Palestinians, however,
have suffered from a widespread policy of arrests and use of arbitrary
detention by IOF for decades. Since 1967, an estimated *800,000
Palestinians* have been arrested by Israeli occupation. Arrests have
been used by the Israeli occupation as means of imposing control,
collective punishment and suppressing any forms of resisting occupation
and even as means to suppress civil and political life in the
Palestinian society. Since 1967, an estimate of *50,000 Palestinians*
have been subjected to administrative detention without charge or trial
based on secret undisclosed material not accessible to detainees and
their lawyers.
Israeli Occupation Forces regularly carries out mass arrest campaigns
during times of escalation or in response to political developments in
the occupied territory in a manner that renders the arrests arbitrary.
The use of administrative detention against children, human rights
activists and Palestinian political figures indicate the arbitrary
nature of the use of administrative detention by Israeli occupation and
its illegality under International Humanitarian Law. The United Nation’s
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has often underlined the arbitrary
nature of depriving persons of their liberty and subjecting them to
administrative detention solely based on undisclosed evidence which the
detainee cannot challenge.[1] <#_ftn1> The use of administrative
detention and trials before partial/politically motivated Israeli
military courts further infringes on the right to fair and public
hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.
Since 1 October 2015, *an average of 30 Palestinians were arrested every
day*; an estimate of over *2,200 Palestinians*. Of those arrested, 247
Palestinians were placed under administrative detention without charge
or trial and without being able to challenge their detention. Today, at
least *587 Palestinians are held under arbitrary administrative
detention* including four children and two members of the Palestinian
Legislative Council. Due to the high number of arrests, the Israeli
Prison Service (IPS) opened new sections in prisons to accommodate this
increasing number of detainees. Two tent sections have since been opened
in Al-Naqab Prison, in addition to a new section in Gilboa Prison, Givon
Section for children in Al-Ramleh Prison and a new section for female
prisoners in Al-Damon Prison.
*No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment*
Palestinians are constantly subjected to different forms of
ill-treatment and torture during arrest, transfer, interrogation and
imprisonment. In the past two months Addameer has documented an
escalation of the use of violence and excessive force against
Palestinians during arrest and detention. Several Palestinian youth were
arrested after being shot by IOF forces in the aftermath of alleged
stabbing attacks. Many of those who were arrested after being shot were
subjected to field interrogations while bleedings, interrogations during
treatment in hospitals while chained to bed as well as being subjected
to harsh interrogations shortly after release from hospitals.
Ibrahim Shwiki (22 years old) was arrested by IOF forces on 12 November
and charged with inciting violence through Facebook. Several
Palestinians have recently arrested under the claim of inciting violence
and racism through social media. During detention, Ibrahim was brutally
assaulted by prison guards and officers after they raided his cell
during the night. He and the other detainees were forced to lie on the
floor. Then one of the prison guards pointed at Ibrahim and immediately
one of the guards assaulted him with a baton on his head before others
proceeded to punch and kick him. Ibrahim was then taken to the waiting
room. There he was handcuffed very tight that blood flow to his hands
was restricted. Ibrahim shouted in pain for hours asking for the
handcuffs to be loosened but his pleas were not answered. Ibrahim was
then placed in solitary confinement as punishment for praying loudly in
the cell and specifically for saying “Allahu Akbar” loudly during
prayer. Ibrahim was also assaulted while in solitary confinement after
requesting to call his family, knowing that the judge did allow him to
make a phone call to his family. Although Ibrahim was suffering from
pain due to the beating especially in his back, he was only taken to see
the prison doctor a week after the assault. By then all marks on his
body were no longer visible.
Inhumane Detention Conditions are also very common and are often
reported by Palestinians detained by Israeli occupation. Several
Palestinians detained at Huwwara detention center complained to
Addameer’s lawyers about poor detention conditions. Detainees reported
that the food they are receiving is insufficient and not nutritious .
The detainees have also complained that the cells are very dirty and
unhygienic as well as being overcrowded; 6 detainees are held in a 4*3.5
meter cell. Furthermore detainees as Huwwara detention center reported
they received dirty mattresses and were not given any clothes for days.
Ill-treatment was also reported in Oz interrogation center. Originally a
police station, detainees including children reported they were shackled
and left on the floor outdoors in the cold or in caravans for several
hours before being transferred to detention centers. Detainees have also
reported ill-treatment and physical violence at the hand of interrogators.
*Detention or imprisonment of a child shall be used only as a
measure of last resort*
Under International Human Rights Law, children must be afforded special
protection and their best interest should always be a primary
consideration. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was
ratified by Israel in 1991, prohibits the arbitrary detention of
children and stipulates that the detention and imprisonment of children
should only be used as a measure of last resort and for the shortest
appropriate period of time. Palestinian children, however, are regularly
subjected to arrests and detention by Israeli occupation. Children often
undergo ill-treatment at the hands of IOF forces and are subject to a
wide array of violations. Arrests usually take place in night raids and
are often physically and verbally abused during arrest, transfer and
detention.
Almost one fifth of those arrested since 1 October were children, which
resulted in tripling the number of Palestinian minors held in Israeli
occupation prisons that spiked from 156 children by the end of September
to at *least 450 children. *At least four children are currently held
under administrative detention considered to be a “/direct and immediate
threat to the national security of Israel/.”[2] <#_ftn2> Israeli
occupation also continues to target children with new harsh policies and
laws including a new draft law which would allow custodian sentences for
children as young as 12, amendments to the Israeli penal code which
allow imposing 10-year prison sentences for throwing stones and
instituting a minimum sentence of 3 years for stone throwing.
Ali Alqam (12 years old) is currently the youngest Palestinian child
detained by Israeli occupation. Ali was arrested on 8 November after
allegedly attempting a stabbing attack in the Jerusalem light train. Ali
was shot with live ammunition three times in his abdomen, pelvis and
hand by an Israeli security guard. Ali was underwent several surgeries
to treat the bullet wounds. On 22 November, Ali was transferred to a
closed treatment facility pending trial. Ali’s cousin, Muawiya Alqam (14
years old) was arrested with Ali in the aftermath of the same incident
and is currently detained in Givon Prison.
Salam Quraan (16 years old) was arrested by IOF forces on 14 October on
his way back from school in Ramallah. An Israeli soldier assaulted Salam
from the back while he was walking home, then proceeded to beat him
along with eight other soldiers. Salam was repeatedly beaten for
approximately five minutes in the stomach and at least once in the
testicles. Salam was then dragged from his feet causing several wounds
on his body including his hands and head. Salam was then transferred to
a nearby settlement where he was blindfolded and forced to wait in room
for several hours. He was slapped several times while waiting and his
photos were taken by the soldiers.
Givon Prison was opened in October 2015 to accommodate the large number
of children arrested by IOF forces. Currently there are 70-75 children
detained in Givon. Children have complained to Addameer’s lawyer about
ill-treatment as well as unhygienic conditions and dampness in the
prison. Children have also complained that the food they are receiving
is insufficient in portions and of poor quality. The children are
isolated in Givon from adult Palestinian political prisoners who usually
provide social support and help imprisoned Palestinian children
communicate with the IPS and prison wardens. Several of the children
informed Addameer’s lawyer Mona Naddaf during a visit on 3rd of December
that they are suffering from nightmares, sleep disorder, loss of
appetite, sadness and feeling isolated. The children also stated they
were subjected to ill-treatment during interrogation including being
denied using toilets, being deprived from food, being subjected to
physical beating, threats and sleep deprivation. Some of the children,
who were injured during arrest, have also complained they aren’t
receiving medical treatment or are receiving it with significant delays.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] <#_ftnref1> Working Group, opinions Nos. 5/2010 (Israel) and 26/2007
(Israel).
[2] <#_ftnref2> As stated in the administrative detention orders issued
against the children.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association*
P. O. Box: 17338, Jerusalem
3 Edward Said Street
Sebat Bldg.
1st Floor, Suite 2
Ramallah, Palestine
Tel: +972 (0)2 296 0446 / 297 0136
Fax: +972 (0)2 296 0447
Email: info at addameer.ps
Website: www.addameer.org
Facebook
<http://addameer.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=67&qid=18370>,
Twitter
<http://addameer.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=68&qid=18370>,
YouTube
<http://addameer.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=69&qid=18370>
--
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20151210/91a0b0e3/attachment.htm>
More information about the News
mailing list