Israel/OPT
05.04.01
Urgent Interventions
Israel: illegal arrest, detention and torture of over 300 Palestinian children
Case ISR 050401.CC
CHILD CONCERN
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Israel.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source, of the arrest and detention of over 300 Palestinian children under the age of 18, since the beginning of the current crisis, who are being held in potentially life-threatening conditions in Israeli prisons. The children are being detained in the Meggido, Telmond and Ramle (Neve Tertze) prisons, with the former under administrative control of the Israeli military, and the latter two under the control of the Israeli Prison Authority. The children have allegedly been subjected to torture during arrest, interrogation and imprisonment by the Israeli authorities.
According to the information received, around 100 male children, aged 16 or more, are being detained as adults in Meggido prison. An estimated 80 male children, some of whom are as young as 14, are being held in Telmond prison. A further 20 children are being held in Israeli Detention Centres in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Two female Palestinian children are currently being held in Ramle prison.
Of utmost concern is the situation of juvenile detainees in Telmond prison, where Palestinian children are allegedly being detained with adult Israeli criminal prisoners. There has been one documented case of three Israeli prisoners attempting to rape a Palestinian child detainee. There have been several recorded incidents of physical abuse by criminal detainees, including: five cases of children who have received injuries inflicted by razors; several cases of scalding with boiling water; and numerous beatings. Two recorded cases of the theft of personal belongings have also been recorded. In all of these cases, the Prison Administration has failed to take appropriate action and the Israeli authorities have so far ignored requests made by human rights organisations on behalf of the Palestinian children.
The same source reported allegations of widespread use of torture against children during arrest, interrogation and imprisonment, despite the Israeli High Court September 1999 ruling that outlawed the use of torture. The children are reportedly routinely beaten and forced to endure various forms of position abuse, such as being shackled to a chair or forced to squat for long periods of time, and this threatens both their physical and psychological integrity.
OMCT is gravely concerned about the physical and psychological integrity of all Palestinian children, and especially those currently detained. OMCT recalls that Israel is party to the Convention Against Torture, which requires each state party to “take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture.” Furthermore, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Israel is party, calls for state parties to ensure that “no child is subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” and furthermore that “every child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered in the best interest of the child not to do so.”
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Israel urging them to:
1. put an immediate end to all forms of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, in accordance with national and international legislation;
2. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of all Palestinian children being held in Israel;
3. place the children in separate section from criminal and adult prisoners, except when it is in the best interests of the child to detain them together;
4. guarantee an immediate investigation into the alleged use of illegal interrogation methods and physical abuse on the children, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
5. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all children throughout the country in accordance with national and international human rights standards, in particular the CRC.
Addresses
Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, 3 Kaplan Street, Jerusalem 91007, Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2)566 48 38 / 691 79 15 E-mail: pm@pmo.gov.il or feedback@pmo.gov.il
Meir Shitrit, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, 29 Salah al-Din Street, Jerusalem 91029, State of Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2) 62 8 54 38 or Fax: ++ 972 2 628 8618 Email: sar@justice.gov.il
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Minister of Defense, Ministry of Defense, 7 "A" Street, Hakirya, Tel Aviv, Israel. Fax:(+972-3)691 69 40, e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il
Eli Yishai, Minister of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior, Fax: 00972 2 670 1411 Email: sar@moin.gov.il
Minister of Police, Ministry of Police, PO Box 18182, 3 Sheikh Jarrah, Kiryat Hamemshala, Jerusalem 91181, State of Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2)582 67 69
Shimon Peres, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fax:(+ 972 2) 530 3704
E-mail: sar@mofa.gov.il
The Supreme Court of Justice, Kiryat Ben Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 652 71 18
Uzi Landau, Minister of Internal Security, Ministry of Internal Security P.O Box 18182, 3 Sheirkh Jarrah, Kiryat Hamemshala jerusalem, 91181, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 582 67 69, E-mail : sar@mops.gov.il
Please also write to the embassies of Israel in your respective country.
Geneva, April 5, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
CHILD CONCERN
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Israel.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source, of the arrest and detention of over 300 Palestinian children under the age of 18, since the beginning of the current crisis, who are being held in potentially life-threatening conditions in Israeli prisons. The children are being detained in the Meggido, Telmond and Ramle (Neve Tertze) prisons, with the former under administrative control of the Israeli military, and the latter two under the control of the Israeli Prison Authority. The children have allegedly been subjected to torture during arrest, interrogation and imprisonment by the Israeli authorities.
According to the information received, around 100 male children, aged 16 or more, are being detained as adults in Meggido prison. An estimated 80 male children, some of whom are as young as 14, are being held in Telmond prison. A further 20 children are being held in Israeli Detention Centres in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Two female Palestinian children are currently being held in Ramle prison.
Of utmost concern is the situation of juvenile detainees in Telmond prison, where Palestinian children are allegedly being detained with adult Israeli criminal prisoners. There has been one documented case of three Israeli prisoners attempting to rape a Palestinian child detainee. There have been several recorded incidents of physical abuse by criminal detainees, including: five cases of children who have received injuries inflicted by razors; several cases of scalding with boiling water; and numerous beatings. Two recorded cases of the theft of personal belongings have also been recorded. In all of these cases, the Prison Administration has failed to take appropriate action and the Israeli authorities have so far ignored requests made by human rights organisations on behalf of the Palestinian children.
The same source reported allegations of widespread use of torture against children during arrest, interrogation and imprisonment, despite the Israeli High Court September 1999 ruling that outlawed the use of torture. The children are reportedly routinely beaten and forced to endure various forms of position abuse, such as being shackled to a chair or forced to squat for long periods of time, and this threatens both their physical and psychological integrity.
OMCT is gravely concerned about the physical and psychological integrity of all Palestinian children, and especially those currently detained. OMCT recalls that Israel is party to the Convention Against Torture, which requires each state party to “take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture.” Furthermore, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Israel is party, calls for state parties to ensure that “no child is subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” and furthermore that “every child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered in the best interest of the child not to do so.”
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Israel urging them to:
1. put an immediate end to all forms of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, in accordance with national and international legislation;
2. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of all Palestinian children being held in Israel;
3. place the children in separate section from criminal and adult prisoners, except when it is in the best interests of the child to detain them together;
4. guarantee an immediate investigation into the alleged use of illegal interrogation methods and physical abuse on the children, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
5. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all children throughout the country in accordance with national and international human rights standards, in particular the CRC.
Addresses
Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, 3 Kaplan Street, Jerusalem 91007, Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2)566 48 38 / 691 79 15 E-mail: pm@pmo.gov.il or feedback@pmo.gov.il
Meir Shitrit, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, 29 Salah al-Din Street, Jerusalem 91029, State of Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2) 62 8 54 38 or Fax: ++ 972 2 628 8618 Email: sar@justice.gov.il
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Minister of Defense, Ministry of Defense, 7 "A" Street, Hakirya, Tel Aviv, Israel. Fax:(+972-3)691 69 40, e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il
Eli Yishai, Minister of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior, Fax: 00972 2 670 1411 Email: sar@moin.gov.il
Minister of Police, Ministry of Police, PO Box 18182, 3 Sheikh Jarrah, Kiryat Hamemshala, Jerusalem 91181, State of Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2)582 67 69
Shimon Peres, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fax:(+ 972 2) 530 3704
E-mail: sar@mofa.gov.il
The Supreme Court of Justice, Kiryat Ben Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 652 71 18
Uzi Landau, Minister of Internal Security, Ministry of Internal Security P.O Box 18182, 3 Sheirkh Jarrah, Kiryat Hamemshala jerusalem, 91181, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 582 67 69, E-mail : sar@mops.gov.il
Please also write to the embassies of Israel in your respective country.
Geneva, April 5, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.