This is why it is not "OK" to express support for the Israeli government. "Israel is the only nation that automatically and systematically prosecutes children in military courts that lack basic and fundamental fair trial guarantees. Israeli military court judges, either active duty or reserve officers in the Israeli army, rarely exclude evidence obtained by coercion or torture, including confessions drafted in Hebrew, a language most Palestinian children do not understand. Since 2000, at least 8,000 Palestinian children have been arrested and prosecuted in an Israeli military detention system notorious for the widespread and systematic ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children. During 2012, 74 percent of Palestinian kids suffered some form of physical violence during arrest, transfer or interrogation, according to Defense for Children International Palestine documentation. At the end of July, 195 Palestinian kids were held in Israeli military detention, including 35 aged 12 to 15. They are overwhelmingly accused of throwing stones. Despite clear prohibitions under international law, Israel continues to use solitary confinement against Palestinian children solely for interrogation purposes. In 99 percent of cases, Palestinian kids are denied access to counsel prior to and during interrogation. A child’s initial appearance in the military court is usually when he first sees a lawyer and his family."
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 23:35:17 +0000