[19 December 2011] – On Sunday, 18 December 2011, 55 Palestinian child detainees were released by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) as part of an agreed prisoner exchange. The children were aged between 14 and 17 years. According to the latest figures, 106 Palestinian children still remain in Israeli detention.

DCI welcomes the release of the 55 children, but continues to hold concerns regarding the treatment of minors in the Israeli military detention system. These concerns include:
 

• The continued arrest of children at night;
• The use of painful hand ties and blindfolds for extended periods of time;
• The failure to immediately inform parents why their children are being arrested or where they are being taken;
• The failure to inform children of their right to silence prior to interrogation;
• The failure to permit children to meet with a lawyer prior to interrogation;
• The failure to permit a parent to be present during interrogation;
• Continued reports of ill-treatment and/or torture during arrest, transfer and interrogation; and
• The detention of children in prisons located inside Israel in violation of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
   

DCI continues to recommend that no child should be prosecuted in military courts that lack comprehensive fair trial and juvenile justice standards. As a minimum safeguard, DCI further recommends that all children should be accompanied by a lawyer and parent during questioning, and all interrogations of children must be audio-visually recorded as a means of independent oversight.

Photo credit: Sylvie Le Clezio