Detention Bulletin

May 2012
DETENTION FIGURES 234 children detained ( 6%) 39 aged 12-15 ( 18%) 0 children in Admin. Detention 0 girls in detention RECENT DEVELOPMENTS US State Department - Human rights report (2011). UK Parliament - Palestinian child detention raised again. Jewish Chronicle Labour Palestine group comes of age. Haaretz EU: Israels policies in the West Bank endanger two-state solution. Urgent Appeal - Stop the forcible transfer of children to prisons in Israel in violation of the Geneva Convention. New DCI report - Bound, Blindfolded and Convicted: Children held in military detention.
Mark Regev Spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, The Guardian, 22 January 2012

The test of a democracy is how you treat people incarcerated, people in jail, and especially so with minors.

May 2012 Overview

This month saw a 6 percent increase in the number of children prosecuted in the Israeli military courts and imprisoned. This is the fifth consecutive month in which a rise in the number of children in detention has been recorded. There has been a 73 percent increase in the number of children held in military detention since December 2011. This month also saw an 18 percent increase in the number of young children (12-15 years) being detained. On 15 May 2012, the issue of Palestinian children as young as 12 years being prosecuted in Israeli military courts was again raised in the UK parliament. In her speech to parliament, Dame Joan Ruddock added her voice to calls recommending that no child should be interrogated in the absence of a parent and all interrogations must be audiovisually recorded. On 24 May, DCI issued an Urgent Appeal to stop the forcible transfer of Palestinian children to prisons inside Israel in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In April, 52 percent of child detainees were transferred in violation of the Convention. The proportion of Palestinian adult detainees being transferred in violation of the Convention during the same month was 85 percent.

CONTENTS
12 to 15 year olds Girls in detention Administrative detention Recent case summaries Other developments Recommendations
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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 May 2012

DCI-Palestine Detention Bulletin, Issue 29 May 2012

May 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-Palestine from sources including the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) and Israeli army temporary detention facilities, there were 234 Palestinian children (12-17 years) in Israeli detention at the end of May 2012. This represents an increase of 14 children (6%) 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 -

342 284 202 -

339 286 180 -

326 269 164 -

325 256 150 -

306 228 161 -

305 213 135 -

355 289 192 203

12-15 year olds

In May there was an increase in the number of young children (12-15 years) being prosecuted in Israeli military courts and receiving custodial sentences in prisons inside Israel. As at the end of May, there were 39 young children in detention, an increase of six children (18%) 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 -

42 18 40 -

39 20 34 -

40 32 35 -

44 34 30 -

41 32 33 -

42 30 19 -

44 31 36 31

Girls in detention
There are currently no Palestinian girls being held in Israeli detention facilities.

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 -

4 0 0 -

3 0 0 -

3 0 0 -

0 0 0 -

0 1 0 -

0 1 1 -

3.8 0.3 0.2 0

Administrative detention
There are currently no Palestinian children being held without charge or trial in Israeli administrative detention.

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 -

1 2 0 -

1 2 0 -

1 2 0 -

1 2 0 -

1 2 0 -

0 1 1 -

1.8 1.6 0.2 0

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DCI-Palestine Detention Bulletin, Issue 29 May 2012

Urgent Appeals
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 arrest: Age: Location: Accusation: Ala H. 10 May 2012 15 Balata village, Nablus Throwing stones

On 10 May 2012, a 15-year-old boy from Balata village, in the occupied West Bank, is arrested by Israeli soldiers and accused of throwing stones. At around 10:00 am, on 10 May, Ala and two of his friends decided to visit a friend in the neighbouring village of Beit Furik. On the way the boys came across an adult deer with three young ones. I threw a stone at them and they ran off, recalls Ala. We kept going and passed by a road leading to a settlement. We were walking near the road when suddenly four military jeeps stopped near by and many soldiers got out and started beating us for no reason. They knocked me down and kept kicking me, says Ala. They did the same to my friends. While I was still on the ground they tied my hands behind my back with a single plastic tie and blindfolded me. Ala was then picked up and placed on the metal floor of a military jeep for transfer. The jeep started traveling and they kept beating me without stopping, says Ala. The plastic tie was very tight and so painful I begged them to loosen it up several times, but they refused and told me to shut up. About an hour later the jeep arrived at a settlement which Ala believes was Itamar. They pulled me out and forced me to sit on the ground. We had to sit on rocks, dry grass and thorns for about one hour, says Ala. After about an hour, the boys were taken inside and given a brief medical check. Following the medical check, the boys were placed in a truck and transferred to Ariel settlement for interrogation. When it was Alas turn to be interrogated, he was taken into a room and his hands were untied and the blindfold was removed, but his feet were shackled. Ala was interrogated for about an hour but was not given the opportunity to consult with a lawyer first. He was also interrogated without either of his parents being present, a right Israeli children are generally entitled to. The interrogator accused Ala of throwing stones at Israeli settler cars, which he denied. After their interrogation, the boys were taken back to Itamar settlement. When we arrived, I asked them to let me use the bathroom, but they refused, recalls Ala. They were made to sit on the ground again. While I was sitting there, a soldier wearing combat boots kicked me so hard in my back that it still hurts. He also slapped me several times. Sometime later the boys were taken to a room until 4:00 am, without being given any food or allowed to use the bathroom. At around 4:00 am the boys were transferred to Megiddo prison, inside Israel, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. All three boys were released from detention on 20 May 2012, as a prosecution witness failed to turn up and give evidence in the military court.

Voices from the Occupation

Voices Forcible transfer Voices 13-year-old shepherd Voices 17-year-old from Azzun Voices East Jerusalem Voices East Jerusalem Voices East Jerusalem Voices East Jerusalem Voices East Jerusalem Voices East Jerusalem Voices Human shield Voices Solitary confinement Voices 16-year-old Beit Ummar Voices 17-year-old from Haris Voices 15-year-old from Azzun Voices 16-year-old Beit Ummar Voices Solitary confinement Voices East Jerusalem Voices Solitary confinement Voices Solitary confinement Voices 13-year-old from Azzun Voices 15-year-old from Azzun Voices 16-year-old from Azzun Voices Use of dogs More

Accountability
Information on complaints submitted by DCI-Palestine is now available online.

Media Archive:
The Independent Time BBC AlJazeera Haaretz Haaretz Haaretz Haaretz CNN Haaretz Haaretz Aljazeera BBC Aljazeera The Independent The Australian Haaretz The Guardian The Guardian The New York Times El Pais The Independent Irin

US State Department releases annual human rights report

On 24 May 2012, the US State Department released its global annual report on human rights, including Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In the report, the State Department made a number of observations relating to children held in Israeli military detention, including: Receipt of continued reports concerning abuse and in some cases torture of minors who were frequently arrested on suspicion of stone throwing; Most of the reported abuse occurs during arrest and interrogation; The type of abuse reported includes beatings, long-term handcuffing, threats and the continued us of solitary confinement; There were reports of abuse at the Al Jalame facility, near Haifa, where children say they were held in solitary confinement in cells where the light is left on 24 hours a day; Continued reports that some Palestinian children signed confessions written in Hebrew, a language most cannot read. These confessions are then used as evidence in Israeli military courts. NGOs reported these confessions were often coerced during interrogations; and The military courts annual report revealed that 99.74 percent of cases heard resulted in the defendant being found guilty.

More

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

The report noted that whereas Israeli military law is applied to Palestinians living in the West Bank, Israeli settlers in the same area are subject to civilian law containing far greater safeguards and protections. Other issues covered by the report included: accountability; compensation; discrimination; freedom of assembly; freedom of movement; Gaza; house demolitions; settler violence; water; and human rights violations committed by Palestinians.

Recent reports
BTselem: No Minor Matter No Legal Frontiers: All Guilty! Yesh Din: Alleged Investigation ACRI Minor A An Nabi Saleh Physicians for Human Rights Coerced false confessions: The case of Palestinian children.

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 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;

4. Ensure that all credible allegations of ill-treatment and torture be thoroughly and
For more information and to subscribe to this bulletin, please visit www.dci-palestine.org
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impartially investigated and those found responsible for such abuse be brought to justice.

DCI-Palestine Detention Bulletin, Issue 29 May 2012