World demands - Palestine Solidarity Campaign

4 palestine NEWS REPORTSSpring 2012Suffer the children...By Gill SwainIsrael’s 45-year long, increasingly brutaloccupation of the Palestinian Territorieshas had a severe impact on every aspectof Palestinian life. But perhaps theimpact has been most devastating on themost vulnerable – the children.Some carry their toys to school for fearthat their homes will be demolished whilethey are gone; hundreds a year are arrested– grabbed off the street or ripped from theirbeds in the middle of the night – and alladolescent boys fear it; thousands sufferfrom anxiety and post traumatic stressdisorder.In the past 11 years alone, around7,500 children, some as young as 12,are estimated to have been detained,interrogated and imprisoned within themilitary court system. This averages out atbetween 500-700 children per year, or nearlytwo children each and every day.Defence for Children International hasproduced a major new report: Bound,Blindfolded and Convicted: Childrenheld in military detention, which is theculmination of four years’ work in whichsworn testimonies were collected from 311children held in Israeli military detention.The testimonies reveal that the majorityof children are detained by the army in themiddle of the night in what are typicallydescribed as terrifying raids. Most childrenhave their hands painfully tied behindtheir backs and are blindfolded beforebeing taken to an unknown location forinterrogation.The arrest and transfer process isoften accompanied by verbal abuse andhumiliation, threats as well as physicalviolence. Hours later the children findthemselves in an interrogation room, alone,sleep deprived, bruised and scared. Theyare not accompanied by a parent and aregenerally interrogated without the benefit oflegal advice or being informed of their rightto silence.Most children undergo a coerciveinterrogation, mixing verbal abuse, threatsThe report includes 25 detailed casestudies of children. This is just one.Name: Ahmad F. Age: 15Date of Incident: 6 July 2011.Location: Iraq Burin village, near NablusAt around 2am, Ahmad was up latesocialising with family memberswho had just arrived from Jordan.“We were all sitting on the balconywhen we heard people climbing up thestairs. Suddenly, many soldiers stormedthe house. They started shouting at usand ordering us into the living room.”About an hour later, Ahmad wasinformed that he was “wanted forinterrogation.” “One of the soldiers tiedmy hands from the front with three setsof plastic cords. The ties were verytight and caused me much pain. Thenanother soldier grabbed me by the armand took me out of the house.”Ahmad’s brother asked where hewas being taken and was attacked by asoldier. “He started hitting him hard withthe barrel of his rifle in front of the family,including the children who became horrifiedand started crying.”Ahmad was blindfolded and reportsbeing led about 50 metres to some waitingvehicles which then transported him toHuwwara interrogation centre. He waspulled out of the vehicle and made to standbeside it. “They were chanting, laughing andshouting in my ears. They were making funof me.“One of them placed his mobile phonebeside my ear and played a police sirenso loud. Then one of them grabbed me bythe arm and placed my head against thecar engine, as another one kept steppingon the accelerator. My whole body startedshaking.”Ahmad reports that he was taken insidethe gates of the centre but left outside fromabout 5am until 3pm the following day. Hewas not brought any food. He reports beingverbally abused and told: “We want you todie out here.” Whenever he tried to sleep asoldier would start shouting and kicking himto keep him awake.At one point some soldiers brought a dogand Ahmad was pushed to the ground. “Imanaged to see the dog from under myblindfold. They brought the dog’s foodand put it on my head. I think it was apiece of bread, and the dog had to eat itoff my head.“His saliva started drooling all overmy head and that freaked me out. I wasso scared my body started shakingbecause I thought he was going to biteme. They saw me shaking and startedlaughing and making fun of me. Thenthey put another piece of bread on mytrousers near my genitals, so I tried tomove away but he started barking. I wasterrified.”Later that day Ahmad was taken tothe police station in Ari’el settlementand interrogated. “The interrogatorremoved my blindfold but kept me tied.He accused me of throwing stones, butI denied it.”The following day Ahmad wastransferred to Megiddo prison, insideIsrael. He was not provided with anyfood during the eight hour journey, andwas strip searched on arrival at theprison.”