The Palestinian Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Centre ADDAMEER, declared that the Israeli Zionist forces have arrested almost 6200 Palestinians since the last Intifada started in September of 2000. 350 of those languishing in prison are children who, against international conventions, are still imprisoned in Israeli jails and detention centers.
Those youngsters undergo severe punishment and mental stress, living an extremely horrifying health and mental situation. Being subjected to torture, interrogation, beatings, humiliation, insults, degradation, and regular terrorizing, "such conditions will affect their mental well being forever, and will accompany them through their adult life," the report said.
The report published by the Palestinian centre on Friday 9 May 2008 revealed that hundreds of children were arrested while they were quite young, and detained in prisons. Some of them are now over 18 and still are imprisoned.
The Zionist occupation is enforcing military rule in those prisons, thus they consider a Palestinian child of 16 as an adult. They are willingly depriving them of their rights as children according to International agreements. According to international law, minors should be protected whilst detained.
350 prisoners are females, 20 are young Palestinian girls. Some children were born inside the Israeli prisons, and they are experiencing health problems. Mothers experience extremely difficult mental depression being subjected to humiliation, having to give birth while being chained by the wrists and feet. Such inhumane treatment is a clear breach of human rights.
Newborn babies are still in Israeli prisons, an example is 3-month-old Yosif Alziq, the child of the prisoner Fatima Alziq from the Shujayyeah neighborhood in Gaza. Another example is Noor, the child borne to the prisoner Manal Ghanem from Tolkarem camp; she was imprisoned while she was pregnant, and gave birth inside the prison in an extremely difficult situation.
The prisoner Khawla Zitawi also gave birth to her little girl Ghada inside the Israeli prison, and they are still imprisoned.
The freed prisoner Samar Subaih has delivered her son Bara’a inside the prison while her hands and feet were chained. Mervat Taha is another Palestinian mother who gave birth to her son Wael inside the prison.
The
children
are kept
in an
overcrowded
place
that is
unsuitable
for
human
living.
Their
needs
are not
provided
for. The
rights
of
imprisoned
children
are
breached
by
Israeli
forces
according
to all
laws and
international
agreements
for that
matter,
especially
breast
fed
babies
and
toddlers.
Children prisoners are subjected to torture and investigations
The young Palestinian children are subjected to torture and investigations inside Zionist jails like Ofer, Megiddo, Etzion, the Negev, Jalama, Petah Tikva, and Ashkelon.
The
children
inside
the
prisons
are not
safe, as
this
torture
is both
physical
and
psychological.
Their
living
circumstances
are
difficult
and they
cannot
grow in
serenity,
as the
frustration
they
experience
is
constant.The
cells
where
they are
kept are
less
than 1
meter x
1.5
meters
in
dimensions.
Chained
by their
hands
and feet
and
blindfolded,
they are
not
provided
with
mattresses
or
covers.
Living
in the
darkness,
they are
deprived
of
sunlight.
The
children
suffer
the
humidity
and lack
of
ventilation,
except
for a
small
hole
used to
provide
them
through
it with
small
quantities
of food.
Torturing children
The
study
reveals
that the
children
complained
that
they
were
subjected
to
pressures
and
negotiations
to offer
them
relief
in
return
of their
cooperation
and
becoming
their
spies.
Some
children
confessed
they
have
already
given in
and just
done
that.
They
were
told if
they
would
not
cooperate
and
become
their
spy,
they
would
remain
in
prison
forever.
-
105 are younger than 15
-
322 are from the West Bank
-
22 are from Jerusalem
-
6 are from Gaza
-
156 have been convicted
-
187 are waiting for a trial
-
7 are under 'administrative detention’ - contradicting all laws and international agreements.
-
80 are very sick and are in need of medical treatment
Beatings, intimidation and organized terrorism against Palestinian children
The
imprisoned
Palestinian
children
have
suffered
greatly
from
beatings
during
arrests
and
investigations.
Most
children
have
been
arrested
from
their
homes in
the
middle
of the
night.
The
armed
forces
of the
Zionist
occupation
use
terrorist
methods
such as
police
dogs and
other
terrorizing
methods
are used
to raise
the
children’s
fear and
cause
their
parents
to
panic,
not to
mention
the huge
number
of
insults
received
by the
child
during
the
arrest.
PLEASE,
SIGN
THIS
PETITION!!
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