Updates

In September 2012, Israel’s Public Defender's office published a report on the isolation of inmates in Israeli prisons. The report criticized the isolation of minors and called for this measure to be restricted or limited in scope. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) provided B’Tselem with figures indicating that, from Jan. 2007 to 28 April 2013, 5,602 inmates were held in isolation, among them 1,493 Palestinians. Of these, 244 were minors, including 76 teenagers who were held in isolation on 100 separate occasions. The international standards set by the UN absolutely forbid holding minors in isolation.

On 9 September 2012 B’Tselem contacted the Dept. for the Investigation of Police (DIP) demanding an investigation of Border Police officers who allegedly assaulted Sa’id Qiblawi, 14. According to testimonies B’Tselem collected, Qiblawi was arrested near his home by Border Police who were being stoned. A policeman dragged Qiblawi along the ground and put him into a jeep, where he was beaten. On 2 May 2013 the DIP informed B’Tselem that upon conclusion of the investigation, the case was closed for lack of evidence. B’Tselem applied to the DIP on behalf of the complainant’s family, requesting the investigative material in order to explore the option of appealing the closing of the case.

On the morning of 20 March 2013, the Israeli military detained nearly 30 Palestinian minors on their way to school in Hebron, many of whom were under the age of criminal responsibility (12). Later that day, B’Tselem wrote to the Legal Advisor in Judea and Samaria, the Legal Advisor of the Israel Police and to the spokesperson for the Judea and Samaria Division regarding this issue. The officials confirmed that, further to a stone-throwing incident earlier that morning, the military apprehended 27 minors, including at least 14 under the age of 12. Later, the military released 20 of the minors to the custody of the Palestinian Authority. The other seven minors were questioned by the police. B’Tselem stressed the following: minors should not be questioned without their parents’ knowledge and the presence of an adult representative on their behalf; the police is duty-bound to inform parents immediately upon the detention of their children; it is unlawful to detain or transport minors under the age of 12.

Following a petition to the High Court of Justice contesting the inflated and discriminatory periods of detention applicable to Palestinian minors in the West Bank, the military has amended the relevant military legislation. The change, slated to take effect in April 2013, requires that minors under the age of 14 be brought before a judge within 24 hours of detention and minors aged 14-18 within 48 hours. Currently, military law in the West Bank does not distinguish between minors and adults with respect to duration of detention. The change is welcome news, although the maximum periods of detention are still too long - twice what is permissible inside Israel.

Testimony collected by B’Tselem shows on 28 August 2012, Sa’id Qiblawi, age 14, chanced on an area near his home in Abu Dis where children were throwing stones at border police officers. On trying to leave, Qiblawi was stopped by a policeman who, he testified, dragged him on the ground and put him inside a jeep, where, lying on the floor, he was beaten by other police officers. More beating followed at the nearby border police base. B’Tselem contacted the DIP demanding an inquiry into his case.

This morning (15 May 2012), the media reported that an agreement was reached between Israel and representatives of the Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, following a hunger strike that lasted some six weeks. One of the demands of the strikers was the resumption of family visits for the prisoners from Gaza, which were stopped in 2007. The ongoing denial of the rights of prisoners and detainees from Gaza to received family visits is a very serious blow to their right to family life.

B’Tselem has received testimony raising suspicion that Muhammad Maharmeh, 22, of Hebron, was abused at length by IDF soldiers. On 11 March 2012, soldiers went to the Maharmeh home in the Old City of Hebron and assaulted Muhammad and his father Ishaq, 50. According to their testimony, the soldiers took the two to an army base, where Muhammad was abused for several hours while his father, held separately, could hear him screaming. B’Tselem has called on the Military Police Investigation Unit to open an investigation into this incident.

On 21 February 2012, the State Attorney's Office announced that Khader ‘Adnan’s administrative detention would not be extended when it expires, provided that no new intelligence information against him is found. ‘Adnan then agreed to end his hunger strike.

There has been a sharp rise in Israel's use of administrative detention over the past year. Over 300 Palestinians are now being held without charge or trial, for periods ranging from 6 months to several years. In protest, one administrative detainee has been on hunger strike for 46 days.