A report on the situation facing Palestinian children detained in the Israeli military court system

2011/01/31 A report on the situation facing Palestinian children detained in the Israeli military court system [31 January 2011] - On 29 January 2011, DCI-Palestine submitted a report to the UN - In their own Words: A report on the situation facing Palestinian children detained in the Israeli military court system. The report covers a six month period between 1 July and 31 December 2010 and is based on the sworn affidavits taken from 40 children detained during this period. In 62.5 percent of the cases the children were accused of throwing stones. The common complaints and areas of concern raised by the children in their affidavits are presented in the following table: # Common complaints and areas of concern Number of cases Percentage of children 1   Hand ties 40 100% 2   Blindfolds 36 90% 3   Beaten or kicked 28 70% 4   Position abuse 24 60% 5   Threats or inducements 22 55% 6   Confession during interrogation 20 50% 7   Arrested between midnight and 4:00 am 18 45% 8   Verbal abuse and humiliation 18 45% 9   Detention inside Israel in violation of Article 76 17 42.5% 10   Signed/shown documents written in Hebrew 11 27.5% 11   Detained with adults 9 22.5% 12   Solitary confinement 7 17.5% 13   Strip searched 7 17.5% 14   Electric shocks 3 7.5% 15   Threat of sexual assault 3 7.5% The report also highlights the involvement of Israeli settlements in the system, evidenced by the fact that in 47.5 percent of cases, the children report being mistreated whilst being held in a settlement in the occupied West Bank. Each year approximately 700 Palestinian children are arrested, interrogated and detained in the Israeli military court system, and reports of torture and ill-treatment are common.