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<font size=3 color="#008000"><u><br>
</font><font face="arial" size=3 color="#008000"><b><a href="??">DATE:
07/11/2004 TIME :13:15<br>
</a><a href="??">300 Palestinian Children in Israeli Prisons<br><br>
</a><a href="??"> <br>
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.<br>
.<br>
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.<br>
.<br>
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.<br>
.<br>
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.<br>
.<br>
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.<br>
.<br>
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.<br>
.<br>
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.<br>
.<br>
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.<br>
.<br>
S.A.S.(13:00P)-(11:00GMT) </a><br>
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