Detention Bulletin

October 2012
DETENTION FIGURES 164 children detained ( 13%) 21 aged 12-15 ( 25%) 0 children in Admin. Detention 1 girl in detention RECENT DEVELOPMENTS DCI and WCLAC submit joint report to UN Fact Finding Mission on Settlements UK Minister makes statement on Palestinian child prisoners Upholding the rights of Palestinian children by Sadiq Khan MP New report by WCLAC Womens Voices: Glimpses of Life Under Occupation Breaking the Silence A soldiers story: We put some kid to sleep New report Trading Away Peace: How Europe helps to sustain illegal Israeli settlements New CAABU report No Security in Injustice The Cornerstone Magazine Breaking a Generation New Statesman How G4S helps Israel break the Geneva Convention by Lisa Nandy MP
Sixteen-year-old boy with his mother after being beaten by police in East Jerusalem

October 2012 Overview

This month saw a 13 percent decrease in the number of children prosecuted in the Israeli military courts and imprisoned. However, this still represents a 21 percent increase in the number of children held in military detention since December 2011. This month also saw a 25 percent decrease in the number of young children (12-15 years) being detained. In October, DCI documented the case of a 17-year-old boy who reports being held in solitary confinement at Al Jalame prison, inside Israel, for 18 days in a windowless cell in which the light was left on 24 hours a day. As recently as October 2011, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture called for a total prohibition on the use of solitary confinement for children as it frequently amounts to torture. This is the 54th case documented by DCI since 2008 of children held in solitary confinement in Israel. On 24 October, the UK Middle East Minister, Alistair Burt, announced that he was taking action to pressure Israel to improve the condition of children in Israeli custody. However, in spite of these assurances, none of the 40 recommendations made by lawyers in a UK government funded report published in June into children in Israeli custody have been implemented.

500 400 300 200 100 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Caption describing picture or graphic.

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Number of Palestinian children in Israeli detention: Jan 2008 Oct 2012 Page 1
DCI-Palestine Detention Bulletin, Issue 34 October 2012

October 2012 IN FIGURES

Each year approximately 500 - 700 Palestinian children, some as young as 12 years, are detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system. The most common charge is for throwing stones. The overwhelming majority of these children are detained inside Israel in contravention of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Total number of Palestinian children in Israeli detention at the end of each month since Jan 2009 - Note: These figures are not cumulative
Jan 2009 2010 2011 2012 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Aver.

Total
According to the latest figures compiled by DCI from sources including the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) and Israeli army temporary detention facilities, there were 164 Palestinian children (12-17 years) in Israeli detention at the end of October 2012. This represents a decrease of 25 children (13%) from the previous month.

389 318 222 170

423 343 221 187

420 342 226 206

391 335 220 220

346 305 211 234

355 291 209 221

342 284 202 211

339 286 180 195

326 269 164 189

325 256 150 164

306 228 161 -

305 213 135 -

355 289 192 200

12-15 year olds

In October there was a decrease in the number of young children (1215 years) being prosecuted in Israeli military courts and receiving custodial sentences in prisons inside Israel. As at the end of October, there were 21 young children in detention, a decrease of 7 children (25%) from the previous month.

Number of young (12-15) Palestinians in Israeli detention at the end of each month since January 2009 - Note: These figures are not cumulative
Jan 2009 2010 2011 2012 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Aver.

50 44 34 26

54 41 45 24

53 39 45 31

47 32 37 33

39 25 38 39

47 23 38 35

42 18 40 34

39 20 34 30

40 32 35 28

44 34 30 21

41 32 33 -

42 30 19 -

44 31 36 30

Girls in detention
There is currently one Palestinian girl being held in Israeli detention. The 17-year-old girl from Hebron was arrested at a checkpoint on 26 July 2012, after been found in possession of a knife and pepper spray which she is accused of using on a female soldier.

Number of Palestinian girls in Israeli detention at the end of each month since January 2009 - Note: These figures are not cumulative
Jan 2009 2010 2011 2012 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Aver.

5 0 1 0

7 0 0 0

6 0 0 0

6 1 0 0

6 0 0 0

5 0 0 0

4 0 0 1

3 0 0 1

3 0 0 1

0 0 0 1

0 1 0 -

0 1 1 -

3.8 0.3 0.2 0.4

Administrative detention
There are currently no Palestinian children being held without charge or trial in Israeli administrative detention. DCI continues to recommend that no child should be the subject of administrative detention and Israeli military law should be amended to reflect this position.

Number of Palestinian children held in Israeli administrative detention at the end of each month since January 2009 - Note: These figures are not cumulative
Jan 2009 2010 2011 2012 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Aver.

5 0 1 0

6 0 0 0

2 2 0 0

2 2 0 0

1 2 0 0

1 2 0 0

1 2 0 0

1 2 0 0

1 2 0 0

1 2 0 0

1 2 0 -

0 1 1 -

1.8 1.6 0.2 0

Page 2

DCI-Palestine Detention Bulletin, Issue 34 October 2012

Urgent Appeals
UA 3/12 Children of the Sea UA 2/12 Forcible transfer UA 1/12 Solitary confinement UA 6/11 Children of BeitUmmar UA 4/11 Children of Azzun UA 3/11 Settler violence

Voices from the Occupation

Name: Date of incident: Age: Location: Nature of incident: Hasan A. 5 October 2012 16 East Jerusalem Detention

On 5 October 2012, a 16-year-old boy from the old city of Jerusalem is beaten by Israeli police in front of his house before being taken away and detained. On Friday, 5 October, there was a high Israeli police and military presence near Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem following unrest between Israeli settlers and Palestinians. I was sitting in front of my house with my father and some of his friends when we started hearing stun grenades and tear gas cannisters being fired, recalls Hasan, who climbed to a nearby vantage point overlooking the Mosque to see what was happening. Seconds later a stun grenade was fired at me and I rushed back to my father. Another stun grenade was fired at us so we started to go inside the house, when a soldier rushed towards us, pushed the door and attacked my father, says Hasan. The soldier wanted to drag my father outside, so I grabbed my father and started pulling him inside, but the soldier grabbed me instead and dragged me out. I was suddenly attacked by many soldiers who started kicking and hitting me, recalls Hasan. A number of soldiers entered our house and I could hear my mother shouting. They kept beating me and I could not take it anymore. Hasan reports being beaten in the street outside his house whilst the soldiers prevented his family from coming to his aid. He was then blindfolded and his hands were tied behind his back with a single plastic tie. Hasan reports that the soldiers continued to punch and kick him after he had been tied causing his head to bleed. I was in so much pain as they kicked me all over my body, he says. Hasan was then dragged to a nearby police station where he was made to kneel against a wall whilst still tied and blindfolded. They were spitting on me and insulting me in Arabic and English. Hasan was held at the police station for approximately 30 minutes before being transferred to Al Mascobiyya interrogation centre in West Jerusalem. I told them I was not feeling well but they just made fun of me. About two hours later Hasan was put in another car and taken to Hadassah Hospital. The doctor stitched a cut above his left eye, took a blood sample and gave him an X-ray. One of the doctors told me that some blood had leaked into my retina, recalls Hasan. Following medical treatment, Hasan was taken back to Al Mascobiyya interrogation centre. Later the following day he was taken for questioning. Hasans uncle was permitted to attend the interview in accordance with Israeli civilian law applied to occupied East Jerusalem. He accused me of throwing stones and trying to stab a soldier, recalls Hasan. Was it your knife or the soldiers? he asked. What knife? There was no knife in the first place? I said. Tell me how you planned to take the knife from the soldier? he said. There was no knife at all, I said again. Throughout the interrogation Hasans hands and feet were restrained. Hasan was released on bail four days later on 9 October 2012.

Voices from the Occupation

Said Q. On 28 August 2012, a 14-year-old boy from Abu Dis, in occupied East Jerusalem, is beaten by Israeli soldiers and/or Border Police on his way to buy milk for his little sister. Murad K. - On 29 August 2012, a 17-year-old boy from a refugee camp near Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, is arrested by Israeli soldiers at 4:00 a.m. and held in solitary confinement for 19 days in Al Jalame interrogation centre, inside Israel. Mahmoud S. - On 8 September 2012, a 17-year-old boy from Azzun, in the occupied West Bank, is arrested by Israeli soldiers and accused of throwing stones.

More

Case summaries
Lawyers and fieldworkers for DCIPalestine collect sworn affidavits from Palestinian children in prison and upon their release. These affidavits are taken in Arabic and further reviewed by trained staff to determine appropriate follow up action. Each year, around 100 of these affidavits are translated into English from which these brief case summaries are produced.

Media Archive: The Guardian The Israeli documentary putting military rule in Palestine on trial The Independent Israel breaks silence over army abuses Haaretz Nearly 100% of all military court cases in West Bank end in conviction The Australian Stone cold justice The Guardian The Palestinian children alone and bewildered in Israels Al Jalame jail
More

Joint DCI / WCLAC submission to the UN On 25 October 2012, DCI and the Womens Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) responded to a call by the UN International Fact-Finding Mission on Israeli Settlements for submissions. The UN Mission is mandated to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem." The joint submission examines some of the impacts of Israeli settlements and their associated infrastructure on the neighbouring Palestinian civilian population, and in particular, their impact on women and children. The submission focuses on two main themes:

The mass arrest of Palestinian men, women and children as a means of control in order to facilitate continued settlement activity; and The direct impact of settler violence on Palestinian women and children.

For information on Palestinian Child Prisoners read: Bound, Blindfolded and Convicted: Children held in military detention

The submission concludes that the ultimate objective of successive Israeli governments has been to annex as much Palestinian territory as possible, without taking legal responsibility for the Palestinian population. This strategy aims to avoid any claim to equal civil and political rights, whilst denying the Palestinian people their right to genuine self-determination. The continued failure to address the situation in accordance with well established legal principles regarding occupied territory is likely only to lead to further unrest and violence for all those living in the region. Recommendations
No child should be prosecuted in military courts which lack comprehensive fair trial

Recent reports
WCLAC Womens Voices: Glimpses of life under occupation Breaking the Silence Soldiers Testimonies: Children and Youth

and juvenile justice standards. DCI-Palestine recommends that as a minimum safeguard in the light of consistent reports of ill-treatment and torture, the following: 1. Ensure that no child is interrogated in the absence of a lawyer of their choice and family member; 2. 3. Ensure that all interrogations of children are audio-visually recorded; Ensure that all evidence suspected of being obtained through ill-treatment or torture be rejected by the military courts;

Recent reports

UK lawyers Children in Military Breaking the Silence Soldiers Custody Testimonies: Children and Youth BTselem No Minor MatterMilitary UK lawyers Children in Custody PHR Coerced false confessions BTselem No Minor Matter PHR Coerced false confessions
Page 4

4. Ensure that all credible allegations of ill-treatment and torture be thoroughly and
impartially investigated and those found responsible for such abuse be brought to justice.

DCI-Palestine Detention Bulletin, Issue 34 October 2012