UNICEF:

Israel’s treatment toward Palestinian kids is inhuman

Rasa – The UN children’s fund, UNISEF, said in a report that the Zionist regime does not have a proper treatment toward Palestinian kids in its jails and the only regime that prosecutes kids in military courts is Israel.

News ID: 181

Date: 09 March 2013 - 12:50

Rasa News Agency Reports –According to a report by YediothAhronoth, the UN’s children fund, UNICEF, announced in a report that Zionist regime’s treatment toward imprisoned Palestinian kids is not proper.

In the 22 page report, UNICEF announced, it has found so many cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment toward kids in jails.

Some 7,000 Palestinian children, aged between 12 and 17, have been arrested and interrogated by Israeli troops, the report said, adding that the majority of them were boys.

“In no other country are children systematically tried by juvenile military courts that, by definition, fall short of providing the necessary guarantees to ensure respect for their rights,” The report stated.

“The pattern of ill-treatment includes the arrests of children at their homes between midnight and 5:00 am by heavily armed soldiers; the practice of blindfolding children and tying their hands with plastic ties; physical and verbal abuse during transfer to an interrogation site,” The report continued.

According to the report, there were many reports of verbal and physical abuse by the Israeli forces.

“The interrogation mixes intimidation, threats and physical violence, with the clear purpose of forcing the child to confess.” The report follows “Interrogation using physical violence and threats; coerced confessions; and lack of access to lawyers or family members during interrogation”. The report follows.

“Children have been threatened with death, physical violence, solitary confinement and sexual assault, against themselves or a family member”.

Mentioning that majority of jailed children were arrested for the crime of throwing stones to the Zionist soldiers, UNICEF explained: “In majority of cases, the principal evidence against the child is the child’s own confession, in most cases extracted under duress during the interrogation”. The report continues “The interrogator prints out some forms and orders the child to sign them, though the child often lacks a proper understanding of their contents. In most cases the forms are in Hebrew, which the overwhelming majority of Palestinian children do not understand”.

At the end of the report, UNICEF stated: “Ultimately, almost all children plead guilty in order to reduce the length of their pre-trial detention. Pleading guilty is the quickest way to be released. In short, the system does not allow children to defend themselves”.

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