Addameer Submits Arbitrary Detention Complaint to UN [about youth imprisoned by Israel]

[Ramallah, 25 April 2010] On 25 April 2010, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association submitted a complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Moatasem Muzher, 16, who is currently held under Israeli administrative detention at Ofer Prison. The complaint seeks intervention by the UN body in Moatasem’s case on the grounds that his administrative detention constitutes arbitrary detention in violation of international law.

Moatasem was arrested at 3 a.m. on 20 March 2010 when Israeli soldiers broke down the front door and stormed his family’s home in Qalandiya Refugee Camp. He was accused during interrogation of involvement in the early stages of planning of an unnamed activity. However, he has never been charged with any offense, and no evidence supporting this allegation has been disclosed to Moatasem or his lawyer.

On 27 March 2010, Moatasem was levied with an administrative detention order for six months, later shortened to three months by military court judge Tzvi Hiilbron at the judicial review for the order on 15 April 2010. His detention order is set to expire on 26 June 2010.

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Administrative detention is a procedure that allows the Israeli military to hold detainees indefinitely on secret information without charging them or allowing them to stand trial. In the occupied Palestinian West Bank, the Israeli army is authorized to issue administrative detention orders against Palestinian civilians on the basis of Military Order 1591. This order empowers military commanders to detain an individual for up to six month renewable periods if they have “reasonable grounds to presume that the security of the area or public security require the detention.” On or just before the expiry date, the detention order is frequently renewed. This process can be continued indefinitely. Addameer