Page 1

C O N T E N T S General detention figures

12 to 15 year olds

Girls in detention

Administrative detention

Recent case summaries

Other developments

Recommendations

Detention Bulletin June 2010

There were 291 Palestinian children

detained in Israeli prisons and

temporary detention centres at the

end of June 2010. This represents a

decrease of 14 children (five percent)

from the previous month.

Out of this total, there were 23 young

children aged 12-15 detained at the

end of June 2010. This represents a

decrease of two children (eight

percent) compared with the previous

month.

June 2010 - overview

At the end of June 2010, there were two

boys being held in administrative detention

(UA 3/10), without charge or trial. There are

currently no girls in detention.

On 7 June 2010, DCI-Palestine submitted

50 cases of ill-treatment to the UN

Committee Against Torture in accordance

with the follow-up procedure adopted by

the Committee when it last reviewed

Israel’s compliance with the Convention

against Torture in May 2009.

General detention figures

‘During the entire 36

hours, my hands were

still tied behind my

back with plastic cords

and I was blindfolded.

I was sitting in the

burning sun.’

N.O (14 years)

Caption describing picture or

graphic.

June 2010

• 291 children detained

• 23 aged 12-15

• 2 children in administrative

detention

• 0 girls in detention

DCI-Palestine ● Detention Bulletin, Issue 6 ● June 2010

Number of Palestinian children in Israeli detention: Jan 2008 - Jun 2010

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2008

2009

2010

The Wall, Abu Dis, Occupied Palestinian Territory –

photo credit: GhtH

Each year approximately 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.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Aver.

2008 327 307 325 327 337 323 324 293 304 297 327 342 319

2009 389 423 420 391 346 355 342 339 326 325 306 305 355

2010 318 343 342 335 305 291 322

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Aver.

2008 38 40 45 39 37 34 33 21 23 23 25 30 32

2009 50 54 53 47 39 47 42 39 40 44 41 42 44

2010 44 41 39 32 25 23 34

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Aver.

2008 2 3 3 4 3 6 6 5 6 6 5 7 4.7

2009 5 7 6 6 6 5 4 3 3 0 0 0 3.8

2010 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.2

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Aver.

2008 18 3 13 12 10 13 13 13 11 8 5 6 10

2009 5 6 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1.8

2010 0 0 2 2 2 2 1.3

12-15 year olds

DCI-Palestine remains concerned at

the number of young children (12-

15 years) being prosecuted in Israeli

military courts and receiving

custodial sentences. At the end of

June 2010, 23 children in this age

category were being held in Israeli

detention facilities, a decrease of

two children compared with the

previous month.

Total number of Palestinian children in Israeli detention at the end of each month

since Jan 2008 - Note: These figures are not cumulative

Page 2 DCI-Palestine ● Detention Bulletin, Issue 6 ● June 2010

Total According to the latest figures

compiled by DCI-Palestine from

sources including the Israeli Prison

Service (IPS) and Israeli army

detention facilities, there were 291

Palestinian children (12-17 years)

detained in Israeli prisons and

temporary detention facilities inside

Israel and the OPT at the end of June

2010.

JUNE 2010

IN FIGURES

Number of young (12-15) Palestinians in Israeli detention at the end of each

month since January 2008 - Note: These figures are not cumulative

Girls in detention

As of 30 June 2010, there were no

Palestinian girls being held in Israeli

detention facilities.

Administrative detention

DCI-Palestine remains concerned

that Israeli authorities have returned

to the practice of imprisoning

children without charge or trial in

administrative detention. On 26

June 2010, Moatasem Nazzal (UA

3/10) was issued with a second

administrative detention order for

three months. According to a

statement made by Israeli officials

to the UN Human Rights Committee

on 14 July, the second boy in

detention was released in early July.

Number of Palestinian girls in Israeli detention at the end of each month since

January 2008 - Note: These figures are not cumulative

Number of Palestinian children held in Israeli administrative detention at the end

of each month since January 2008 - Note: These figures are not cumulative

Case summaries

Lawyers and fieldworkers for DCI-

Palestine 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.

Additional case summaries are

available upon request.

‘I felt something was

placed over my head and

I’m almost sure it was a

nylon sack. The sack was

placed over my head for

about five minutes, during

which time I felt I was

choking.’

A.B. (17 years)

***

MEDIA REPORTS

5 June 2009 - The Independent

30 June 2009 - Time

28 May 2010 - Haaretz

30 May 2010 - AlJazeera

10 June 2010 - Haaretz

14 June 2010 - Haaretz

1 July 2010 - Haaretz

3 July 2010 - Haaretz

***

A.H.

On 6 June 2010, a 15-year-old boy from Qalandiya Camp is arrested at 2:00pm at

Qalandiya Checkpoint:

Arrested by soldiers and accused of wanting to throw a Molotov cocktail - beaten on

arms - tied and blindfolded - transferred to Atarot Police Station - threatened prior to

interrogation - accused of wanting to throw a Molotov cocktail at soldiers - 'I'll beat you

hard if you don't say that' - taken for interrogation which was tape recorded - confessed

due to fear from previous threat - 'I was scared that he might beat me if I didn't confess'

- signed confession in Hebrew - transferred to Ofer Prison – A.H.’s case last came before

a military court on 24 June and the case was adjourned – meanwhile, A.H. remains in

detention.

N.O.

On 14 June 2010, a 14-year-old boy is arrested in Nablus on his way to work and accused

of throwing stones at soldiers:

Soldiers accuse two boys of throwing stones - hands tied behind back and blindfolded -

kicked in the legs - placed on the floor of a military vehicle - felt pain every time vehicle

went over a bump - transferred to Huwwara Interrogation and Detention Centre - kept

tied and blindfolded outside and deprived of sleep for 36 hours - provided with food and

water once - permitted to urinate against a wall once during 36 hours - left in the sun

without shade - remained tied and blindfolded for 36 hours - transferred to Ari'el

Settlement and interrogated by a policeman who called himself Issa Haddad - accused

of throwing stones - denied accusation - threatened - 'I will slap you so hard your head will

stick to the floor' - confessed - signed document in Arabic without knowing its contents -

transferred back to Huwarra and left outside for another 36 hours - transferred to Megiddo

Prison inside Israel - sentenced by Salem Military Court on 17 June 2010 to 50 days

imprisonment and a fine of NIS 500 (US$130).*

* GDP per capita (2008) – US$1,1331 (Source: Passia 2010)

A.B.

On 7 June 2010, a 17-year-old boy from Al Arrub Refugee Camp, near Hebron, is

arrested at 2:30am and accused of throwing stones:

Arrested by soldiers from the family home - slapped across the face - hands tied and

blindfolded - placed on the floor of a jeep - transferred to Etzion Interrogation and

Detention Centre, inside the settlement of Gush Etzion - placed in a shipping container

and then taken outside and left tied and blindfolded in the sun - nylon sack placed

over head twice, for five minutes on each occasion causing choking sensation - threat

of rape - 'If you don’t confess, a man named Abu Zaki will rape you and f**k you

because he loves little children and he’ll f**k you' - scared - taken for interrogation -

blindfold removed but hands remained tied - interrogator introduced himself as

Captain Dawoud - A.B. believes this is the same person who threatened him with rape -

confessed to throwing stones - signed papers in Hebrew - further beatings during

detention in Etzion – A.B. is currently being detained in Ofer Prison.

50 Cases submitted to UN Committee Against Torture

Twelve months after the UN Committee Against Torture reviewed Israel’s compliance

with the Convention Against Torture, DCI-Palestine has collected over 100 sworn

affidavits from children who report being ill-treated, and sometimes tortured, during

interrogation by Israeli authorities. The overwhelming majority (61 percent) of these

children are accused of throwing stones, an allegation most deny. On 7 June 2010,

DCI-Palestine submitted 50 of these cases to the Committee as part of the follow-up

procedure in order to draw attention to the continued widespread, systematic and

institutionalised use of illegal interrogation methods by Israeli authorities against

Palestinian children. The intention behind the abuse appears to be to intimidate and

coerce confessions from children as young as 12 years, which are then used to obtain

convictions in military courts followed by imprisonment inside Israel. The wholesale

disregard for the rights of these children is perhaps best supported by a recent review

of 100 affidavits that found children were forced to sign confessions in Hebrew, a

language they do not understand, in 32 percent of cases.

Other developments

On 26 June 2010, a 16-year-old boy, Moatasem Nazzal, was issued with a second

administrative detention order for three months. The stated reason for issuing

Moatasem with a second order is 'because he endangers security of the region'. This

order was confirmed by a military court in early July. Moatasem has now been held

without charge or trial since 20 March 2010, and may be released on 26 September

2010, but has no guarantee how long his detention will eventually last. Please

continue to send urgent appeals on behalf of Moatasem – Urgent Appeal 3/10.

Recommendations

No child should be prosecuted in military courts which lack comprehensive fair trial

and juvenile justice standards. DCI-Palestine recommends that as a minimum

safeguard in the light of consistent reports of mistreatment and torture, that the Israeli

authorities:

1. Ensure that no child is interrogated in the absence of a lawyer of their choice

and family member;

2. Ensure that all interrogations of children are video recorded;

3. Ensure that all evidence suspected of being obtained through ill-treatment or

torture be rejected by the military courts;

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.

Page 4 DCI-Palestine ● Detention Bulletin, Issue 6 ● June 2010

If you wish to take action, then

please consider lobbying your

elected representatives and

demand that pressure be applied

on Israeli authorities to cease the

practice of mistreating and

prosecuting Palestinian children as

young as 12 in military courts, and

detaining them inside Israel.

***

URGENT APPEALS

UA 1/10 – Al Jalazun

UA 2/10 – Detention in Israel

UA 3/10 – Admin. Detention

***

VOICES FROM THE OCCUPATION

Voices – Nadeem and Jihad

Voices – Sexual assault

Voices – 7-year-old summonsed

***

For further information please read

DCI-Palestine’s latest report on

Palestinian child prisoners:

Palestinian Child Prisoners: The

systematic and institutionalised ill-

treatment and torture of Palestinian

children by Israeli authorities

***

The Detention Bulletin is a monthly

publication produced by Defence

for Children International-Palestine

Section. To subscribe, go to

www.dci-pal.org

For further information contact an

advocacy officer at ria@dci-pal.org