The Center for the Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights “Hurryyat” published a report about the life and suffering of children detainees in the Ofer Prison. The report covers the past six months based on the meetings of the Center’s Attorney with the following detainees: Ahmad Zahran, Salem Zahran, and Abdul Fattah Doleh, head of the minors’ department who stated an increase in their numbers reaching 178 detainees since the beginning of the year and until this current month of July. 20 of them are children below the age of fifteen and most of them have been exposed to verbal insults and physical abuse. Concerning the method of arrest, Abdul Fattah Doleh affirmed that 108 detainees were arrested from their homes while the rest were arrested either from the streets or through a notice meeting with the Israeli Intelligence Services, or from the Ibrahim Mosque, from Jerusalem having no permits, or while attempting to infiltrate through the Apartheid Wall. Moreover, 38 of them are suffering mild to moderate diseases while others are suffering from gunshot injuries.
During this period, the military courts issued sentences of actual imprisonment up to a year along with fines reaching a quarter of a million shekels. Doleh informed the Center of the decision taken by the administrative prisoners of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) parties and the Islamic Jihad about boycotting the Israeli Military Courts as they see in them no more than mock trials lacking the basic requirements of a fair trial. Administrative detainees are rallying for a holistic boycotting of these trials and courts that attempt to legalize the arbitrary policies and procedures of the occupation.
Hurryyat demanded giving the cause of administrative detention primary and proper attention, and combining the efforts of the international community and the active human rights organizations towards condemning this policy and liberating all administrative prisoners.