Amnesty asks Israel to end detention of Palestinian children

Amnesty International has sent a letter to the Israeli Public Prosecutor asking him to stop the administrative detention of Palestinian children, Arab48.com reported on Monday. Three minors were actually named in the letter — Mohamed Gheith, Fadi Abbasi and Kazem Sbeeh — although many more are being held by Israel.

According to the human rights organisation, Sbeeh’s father said that Israeli security officers entered his home on Saturday, 17 October, arrested Kazem and took him to the investigation centre in Jerusalem. He said that he is now in Megiddo Prison and he was only allowed to visit him for the first time on 3 December.

Both Gheith and Abbasi were arrested on 19 October at their homes before being taken to the investigation centre in East Jerusalem. The Israeli police told Mohamed Gheith’s father that he could visit him at any time, but he was prevented from doing so when he went to the centre.

Israel uses administrative detention against Palestinians because no charges or trials are necessary under legislation which dates from the British Mandate period. The Israelis claim that the charges are “secret” and use the process to keep Palestinians in prison indefinitely.

Amnesty’s Director of Human Rights and head of its anti-racism campaign, Hilal Alloush, insisted that the administrative detention of minors is a very dangerous measure. “Hundreds of minors have been arrested and detained by Israel recently,” he noted.