Palestinian Children in "Israeli" Jails: Victims of Torture, Abuse

Local Editor

Human rights lawyer Hiba Masalha revealed new testimonies made by Palestinian children and minors in prison proving their exposure to torture and abuse during their detention.

The testimonies came in a report released by the lawyer following her visit to Palestinian kids jailed in Megiddo and Sharon prisons.
Masalha affirmed that the "Israeli" jailers, interrogators and soldiers, used physical violence and threats to subdue and bully some Palestinian children during and after their detention.

According to the report, prisoner Amjad Hashash, a 15-year old boy from Balata refugee camp, told the lawyer that when "Israeli" soldiers detained him on January 26, 2013, he was severely beaten with their hands, feet and batons all over his body.
Hashash explained that the soldiers, afterwards, took him handcuffed and blindfolded into a military vehicle and kept beating him until they arrived at Hawara detention center where they stripped him and later took him to the Salem interrogation center.

He added that the "Israeli" interrogators at the center forced him to sign papers in Hebrew without him knowing what was written in them, asserting that he was feeling unwell and found it difficult to breathe.
A 17-year old prisoner named Wael Mohsen, who was kidnapped on March 1, 2012 at night from his home in Jenin city, said that "Israeli" soldiers ransacked his parents' house and then took him outdoors where he was exposed to constant beatings with their hands and rifle butts.

The soldiers kept interrogating him in the house yard until five o'clock in the morning and then drove him to Jalama detention center, the boy said, adding that the soldiers also assaulted him on their way to the jail.
Wael was also strip searched and tortured by "Israeli" interrogators in Jalama jail.
He further revealed that the interrogators used an air conditioner in the room where he was questioned in order to make the atmosphere unbearable and suffocating and thus make him feel uncomfortable during the questioning process.
Keeping dim yellow lighting in the room all the time, the interrogators questioned him as his hands and legs were tied to a chair, the boy confirmed.

Another boy named Shaker Masha, 15, complained that as he was being rounded up on February 2013, "Israeli" soldiers beat him very brutally all over his body causing him to suffer fractures in his nose and arms, and bruises in his face and other parts of his body.
Afterwards, according to his testimony, he was taken to Hadassah hospital where he received treatment from the serious injuries he had sustained.

For his part, Alaa Hathnawi, a 17-year old boy who was kidnapped last month, said that "Israeli" soldiers stroke his head against one of their jeeps' doors and then took him to Jalama checkpoint where they strip searched him and left him in the cold for long hours at night.

Source: Palestine-info, Edited by moqawama.org