By: Philippe Khan
Appalling photographs of abuse and torture by American guards at U.S. military bases and detention facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan shocked the international community, but the Palestinians have been suffering harsher treatment inside Israeli prisons since the 1967 occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Palestinians' suffering at the hands of the Israelis is worse than in any other part of the world. Many of the Palestinian detainees are children, who are subjected to physical and psychological torture by Israeli interrogators and prison guards.
Mohammed Mahsiri, a 17-year-old resident of Dheisheh refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, was arrested by Israeli occupation forces almost a year and a half ago. "I was taken to a detention centre and interrogated…The interrogation would begin at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and would finish after eleven p.m. I was beaten all the time, especially if the soldiers did not get the answers they wanted," he told IPS.
"I was sent to be beaten by other soldiers and forced to stand in the rain with only thin clothes on. They would try to convince me that I did something that I did not do in order to get the confession they wanted. After being tortured at the detention centre for one month, I was in prison for 13 months."
Recent reports by human rights groups and legal experts document widespread, systematic violation of international laws at Israeli detention centers, where several prisoners are children under the age of 18, most of whom are subjected to torture, harsh interrogation tactics, physical beatings, deplorable living conditions and no access to fair trial.
Although the International Convention of the Rights of the Child as well as Israeli law defines "a child" as someone under the age of 18, Israeli military order system in force inside the occupied West Bank and Gaza classifies Palestinian children over the age of 16 as adults. The lack of protection afforded to Palestinian child prisoners contrasts sharply with the generous rights and treatment granted to arrested Israeli children.
Conditions in Israeli prisons violate a range of international human rights standards. Palestinian children are isolated from adult Palestinians. Accommodation is overcrowded and unhygienic. There is often not enough bedding or even space for the basic mattresses. Food is very poor and often insufficient. Washing and use of toilets is restricted and children lack access to medical provision and formal education.
Moreover, Palestinian children over 14 years old are tried as adults in Israeli military courts, and are often detained with adult inmates – another direct violation of international law.
Latest figures released by Defense for Children International (DCI), an independent group that defends children's rights, show that there are 398 Palestinian children currently held inside Israeli detention centers and prisons, the youngest of whom is just 14 years old.
"Usually, the Israeli troops invade the child's house in the middle of the night, in order to frighten the child and his family," Ayed Abuqtaish, research coordinator with DCI's Ramallah offices. "Many Israeli soldiers and vehicles surround the house, and other soldiers invade or force their way into the house…
"They intimidate the child to prepare him for interrogation. When the child arrives at the interrogation centre, they employ different methods of torture."
There are widespread accusations of physical abuse, Abuqtaish says, "but currently, they concentrate mainly on psychological torture like sleep deprivation, or depriving him of food or water, or putting him in solitary confinement, or threatening him with the demolition of his home or the arrest of other family members."
"Children have also reported that the Israeli interrogators have threatened to sexually abuse them," Abuqtaish added.
Like the United States, Israel defends its interrogation techniques, saying that they are a necessary tool against the "war on terror". In 1987, according to Israel's Landau Commission of Inquiry into interrogation policies, the Israeli government ruled that "a moderate degree of pressure, including physical pressure, in order to obtain crucial information, is unavoidable under certain circumstances."
"Israel is a state party to the International Convention Against Torture," Abuqtaish said. "In its reports to the committee, Israel always says that their use of 'moderate physical pressure' is consistent with the obligation of the treaty, but, needless to say, 'moderate physical pressure' is obviously torture in itself."
Legal experts, meanwhile, say that the military courts that try Palestinian children are presided over by military personnel, most of whom lack legal qualifications. Moreover, Palestinian child prisoners have no guaranteed right to legal representation and it is extremely difficult for any lawyer to represent Palestinians before these courts.
"The Israeli court system does not look like any other court system in the world," says Arne Malmgren, a Swedish lawyer who has worked as legal observer inside Israeli military courts during trials of Palestinian children. "Israeli military staff, the judge, the prosecutor, the interpreter — they are all in military uniform. There are plenty of soldiers with weapons inside the courtroom.
"The small children come into the courtroom in handcuffs and full chains; there can be up to seven children at the same time in the courtroom. One lawyer described it as a cattle market. The trial is more like a plea bargain — before the proceedings, the prosecutor and the lawyer have already agreed on the child's sentence, and then they just ask the judge if he agrees, and he almost always does."
"There are no witnesses, nothing. And the worst thing is what happened before the child arrives at the courtroom — when they interrogate these young boys and girls to get them to sign confessions to things they may or may not have done, Malmgren added.
Although the vast majority of arrested Palestinian children are charged with throwing stones at Israeli occupation forces, it's extremely rare for them to avoid prison sentence, raising concerns that the punishment is based on political conditions rather than on objective legal standards.
Hopefully, when negotiations between Palestinian and Israeli officials continue this week over a possible prisoner exchange deal that may involve the release of all Palestinian woman and children in return for an Israeli occupation soldier captured by Palestinian resistance groups last summer, Palestinians will be able to see their relatives, friends and loved ones again.
"When I was released from prison, it was the best day of my life," said Mohammed Mahsiri, who was recently released from Israeli prisons. "We were beaten every day. The food was very bad. It was the hardest thing we had to face. No child should ever have to experience that."
[Source: aljazeera.com]
{ 10 } Comments
These "children" are future terrorists!
They have to be stopped!
Israel has to be stopped using torture that was taught to them by the US. Or is it the other way around?
Children are the our future. If we don't treat them right they will rebell against us.
Palestinian children will learn to hate people that are Jewish or US citizens like they have never been hated before.
All for what?
So Bush and Olmert can hold hands before their Gods?
If people would just put religion aside and listen to each other and accept each other as to who they are. The world would be a better place.
As a non-believer I come here because I am accepted and because I see the inequalities in the Middle East.
Even if I didn't see the inequalities I would still be accepted if I kept an open mind.
Both sides have to open their minds because children are being affected and that is wrong.
Last point: Why only Palestinian children? Why not Jewish children who harrass the Palestinian people?
Torture must be far from universal given that Palestinian parents "are encouraging their offspring to get arrested for petty crimes, such as carrying a knife or verbal harassment, because life in jail is seen as better than life at home." See "Chidren choose prison over misery" from Times Online March 17, 2007 (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1528104.ece)
Israel has to think about the torture which they are doing on Palestinian people, this tourture is making Palestanian a strong nation & one day INSHALLAH israel has to pay for it. israel should leave the teritories of Palestine immediately so that there should be PEACE in the region.Rigidness & brutality can never ever win others HEARTS, only love & respect of others can win the love & hearts. israel should respect the Palestenian people's freedom.
Don is correct. Hundreds of young Palestinians are committing minor crimes in Israel hoping to be sent to an Israeli prison. These men want to go to prion in Israel! They are far better oof in an Israeli prison that they are at home.
Plenty of food and water.
Free cell phones
Opportunities to get a college degree
Can talk with their family at any times
Air-conditioned cells
Damn this is better than my house in the USA!
Arabs always need to lie because the truth doesn't support their goal of the total destruction of Israel.
Jeffrey Levine
jeffrey@xemaps.com
Don,
You know what, it must have taken you really too much time to think before your write such a comment.
Listen my friend, lets take your assumption that they are carrying knifes as a fact… did you ask yourslef, why? Why would children carry knifes? Why would they prefer life in jail? I guess you didn't. Let me help you.
Did you hear that the Israeli occupation is the only "democracy" (they say so, I don't) in the world that occupies another country? Did you know that Israel controls all aspect of the Palestinian economy?
http://www.btselem.org/english/Freedom_of_Movement/Economy.asp
Did you know that Israel has cut gas and petrol supplies to the Palestinians?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4758471.stm
Did you know that Palestinian workers were compelled to work in Israel for hunger wages (by Israeli standards)?
Did you know that Israel collects the duties for all the goods that pass through Israel to the Palestinian territories after deducting a fat commission? and did you know that Israel is obligated to turn the money over to the Palestinian Authority but refuses to pass on this money, which belongs to the Palestinians, it is, simply put, robbery in broad daylight? But when one robs "terrorists", who is going to complain?
Tariq,
As the kids sing in the end of this documentary:
For your sake, my steadfast people,
Together we will fight and struggle,
Raise your voice and say:
God is great, God is great.
Every mother’s tear and every drop of blood takes its toll,
For every martyr that falls a new one will rise.
For your sake, my steadfast people…
Jeffrey Levine,
Worse than Don!
If it toke Don some time to think of that worthless comment, I think you don't have the brain to even think at all.
If you like it so much, please be a guest and go to Israhell jail and rotten there. I won't drop a tear!!
PS. Thanks for leaving your email at the end of your worthless comment. Might you enjoy some slaps on your face to wake up from your insomnia.
Honestly speaking, I can't find anymore racist people than one like you who justify "inhuman" crimes like these. But well, when was Zionism and their supports "humans"?
jeffery levine,
Ofcourse you are right about food and water.
That is because the Israelis are stealing it from the Palestinians and keeping it for themselves. BTW. They think they are right.
And you support that?
Occupy lands, steal water and food for the good of the Zionists at the cost of the Palestinians?
Your view is generating future terrorists that we all are trying to stop with understanding and acceptance.
Stop the Israeli terrorism and we will have peace in the Middle East.
Plain and simple.
Go back to the '67 borders that were agreed upon years ago and stop the Israeli aggression. Let these people live in peace and the Israelis will live in peace!
It is that simple. This was agreed on years ago, but the Israelis kept pushing for more land and resources to keep their immigrants (radicals) happy.
The worst part is that the US keeps supporting Israel even when they are wrong and the UN says they are wrong.
Please don't give me any US BS. Iraq is the US' biggest BS.
The history of israel can be traced almost day by day in breaches of international law, humanitarian abuses; and moral outrages. There is no other country in the world like it. Why is it allowed to continue? Simply because they have the support of America; it's partner in crime.
The "proof" of these crimes is extensive, and still, zionists defend israel's stance. It is not possible to educate these people with proofs whether it is comes from the diaries of israeli leaders; western media film, IDF soldiers confessions or from the writings of israeli historians.
I argue that the need to convince zionists of the evil of israel is past. Instead we must all protest to out leaders to take action against Israel at every turn.
I am not shocked.. its not a new method..
I just hope that someone will let these kids free. They are suffering!
I hope that Soon they will return to their homes.
Asad al nimr,
Ramallah.
almanarasquare.blogspot.com
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