Campaign to garner release of two Bethlehem children from Administrative Detention

Saturday November 22, 2008 18:45 by Palestine News Network - PNN

Among the 11,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, over 300 are children. To highlight the case, a youth group of Palestinian and Jewish activists are focusing on two minors being held under Administrative Detention, meaning no charge or trial with renewable sentences.

Bethlehem residents Salwa Salah and Sara Syuri are both 17 years old. Israeli forces took them from their homes on 5 June 2008.

Since then the two youth have been held in the Damon Prison in Al Carmel Mountains, which has been deemed “unfit for humans.”

A petition was submitted to the President of the Arab Nation’s Office and to the offices of the Israeli Prime Minister and Israeli Security to garner their release. It also calls on Israeli authorities to cease the illegal policy of Administrative Detention.

On 6 October Israeli guards brought Salah and Syuri to a military court to extend their imprisonment. The judge ruled to keep the two detained for another three months, still without charge or trial. They were deemed as “posing a danger,” although since their arrest the military prosecutor has not provided the court with any information or evidence to confirm the claim.

In the last two years the use of Administrative Detention against Palestinian minors has significantly increased. The Palestinian – Jewish youth group wrote a statement, reading in part, “We note that this completely contradicts the international document of the Protection of the Rights of the Child that was signed by Israel, and which states that a child cannot be arbitrarily deprived of his freedom or held without a legal provision against him. The arrest and imprisonment of children must be according to the law and must be used only as a last resort and for the shortest and appropriate period of time.”

The Israeli group monitoring Palestinian human rights, Btselem reports that during the month of October the Israeli authorities imprisoned 599 Palestinians under Administrative Detention, including 11 children.

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