Ref: 57/2016

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the sentence issued by the Israeli Military Court in occupied Jerusalem on Monday, 07 November 2016, against Ahmed Manasra (14) to 12 years of actual imprisonment in violation of the international humanitarian law, mainly conventions pertaining to the child’s rights. PCHR further stresses this unfair sentence is not a judicial precedent, it is rather a policy adopted by the Israeli authorities. Hundreds of similar sentences were issued against minors even younger than al-Manasra.

It should be noted that Israeli forces arrested Manasra after opening fire at him and his cousin Hassan Khaled Manasra (15) on 12 October 2015 under the pretext they attempted to stab Israelis in occupied Jerusalem. Ahmed was seriously wounded then but his cousin Hassan was killed. Manasra, who was (13) then, was arrested and tortured in spite of his serious injury. A video leaked from the Israeli interrogation center displayed how Manasra was subject to psychological and physical torture by interrogators although article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child provides, “States Parties shall ensure that:(a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. (b) No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.”

The arrest and cruel treatment practiced against Manasra in the Israeli jails in addition to the unfair 12-year imprisonment sentence shed light on hundreds of children, who are detained in the Israeli jails under degrading circumstances. Statistics reveal that over 9,000 Palestinian children have been arrested by Israeli forces since 2000; the majority of whom were psychologically or physically tortured while others were sentenced to actual imprisonment. Statistics of the Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP) points out that 1,260 children have been arrested in 2016, including 330 children aging between 12-15 years.

PCHR condemns the sentence issued against Manasra, and:

1. Calls for the immediate release of him and all children detained in the Israeli jails;
2. Calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949 to fulfill their obligations under the Convention;
3. Calls upon the international human rights organizations and competent UN bodies to follow up the Palestinian prisoners’ file and initiate international advocacy campaigns to pressurize Israel in order to stop its arbitrary practices against the Palestinian prisoners;
4. Demands the European countries to activate article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which stipulates Israel’s respect for human rights as a condition for economic cooperation; and
5. Calls upon the United Nations, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and international community to practice pressure on Israel to enhance the detention conditions of the Palestinian prisoners, stop torture and allow observers to visit the prisoners.