Ofer - Minors, Women

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Observers: 
Nitza Aminov (reporting)
Dec-13-2015
|
Morning

Translation: Marganit W.

 

“At 13, your kids celebrate Bar Mitzvah, our kids go to jail"

 

This is what I heard from a Palestinian father outside the court, while he was waiting for the hearing of his underage son. The army came to their home before dawn, turned the house upside down and kidnapped the boy.

 

In the past few months, whenever I come to the court, I find there families waiting for a child’s hearing. The kids are kidnapped from home, school or the street, brought in for interrogation and remanded in custody.

 

http://www.btselem.org/statistics/minors_in_custody

 

According to a B’tselem investigation of 2.12.15, until the end of October, 307underage kids have been kept in detention and in prison, in various Prison Authority facilities. 4 are under administrative detention (one is a girl). The data were provided by the Prison Authority.

Other human rights organizations collect and publish data - including information about East Jerusalem. These data boggle the mind.

 

Talks with family members are heartbreaking, and attending the hearings of minors is the hardest. I attended hearings of 13 and 14-year olds.

I lack the literary skills to describe the horrors.

 

Today I attended the hearing of Sabrin Abu Shrar - a physician who has been detained in Sharon Prison for several months now.

She is accused of transferring Hamas money.

A negotiation with the prosecution was under way, so there was no ordinary hearing.

The hearing will continue on 1.2.16.

 

In another court, 2 underage girls had their hearing. I am not allowe to mention any details.

They too have been in detention for some time now. Their families told me that other judges had decided on alternative to detention for both girls, but the prosecution objected and they were remanded in custody.

The attorneys moved to send the girls to a closed boarding facility in Bethlehem.

The judge has not given his decision yet.