During the arrest operation, Mohammad broke his left leg, just above the ankle. Nonetheless, the soldiers beat him all over his body and intentionally kicked his injured leg. Torture and ill-treatment continued for five consecutive days following his arrest and reached its peak at the Hadassah hospital, where the Israeli soldiers pushed syringes into the boy’s hand and leg multiple times, covered his mouth with adhesive tape, punched Mohammad in the face, hit him in the abdomen with a stick and deprived him of sleep in an attempt to deter the boy from reporting the ill-treatment to the Israeli police.
Mohammad was undeterred and made an official statement to his interrogator in which he attempted to describe the abuse and torture he was subjected to, even after the other interrogators threatened him with killing and sexual abuse.
Mohammad is currently tried before the Israeli military courts on five charges related to throwing Molotov cocktails. He remains in Ofer prison in a section with adult prisoners. The next hearing in Mohammad’s trial is scheduled for 6 September 2010.
Addameer condemns Mohammad’s torture and ill-treatment at the hands of Israeli authorities as a violation of absolute prohibitions against these measures in international law, violations that are made all the more heinous due to Mohammad’s young age. Moreover, Addameer remains very concerned about the legitimacy of Mohammad’s ongoing trial before the Israeli military courts, as it remains clear that these courts operate in blatant disregard for fundamental international fair trial standards and lack any sort of meaningful protection for child detainees.
Addameer therefore calls for the charges against Mohammad to immediately be dropped, for those responsible for his torture and ill-treatment to be investigated and prosecuted.
Addameer also calls the international community to pressure Israel to conduct a thorough and impartial criminal investigation into the conduct of the soldiers who tortured and abused Mohammad Halabiyeh and bring the perpetrators to justice. At the same time, Addameer contends that it is very unlikely that such an investigation will be initiated without the needed political and diplomatic pressure given that the Israeli authorities have consistently failed to investigate and indict its soldiers involved in criminal offenses against Palestinian civilians in the OPT.
Addameer therefore urges foreign government officials, including members of foreign representative offices to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and foreign Consulates in East Jerusalem, as well as the Office of EU Representative in Israel and the OPT, human rights organizations and United Nations bodies to:
· Raise Mohammad Halabiyeh’s case with the Israeli authorities;
· Demand that the Military Police Criminal Investigation Department conducts an impartial and independent investigation into the soldiers actions;
· Demand that the Israeli Ministry of Health conducts an independent and impartial investigation into events that occurred at the Hadassah hospital;
· Raise Mohammad Halabiyeh’s case to the attention of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, in accordance with various human rights monitoring guidelines, including the EU Guidelines on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
· Attend Mohammad Halabiyeh’s court hearings at the Israeli Military Court.
More information about Mohammad’s case
ADDAMEER’s FULL STATEMENT WITH MORE DETAILS ON INCIDENT...
Addameer condemns Mohammad’s torture and ill-treatment at the hands of Israeli authorities
as a violation of absolute prohibitions against these measures in international law, violations
that are made all the more heinous due to Mohammad’s young age. Moreover, Addameer
remains very concerned about the legitimacy of Mohammad’s ongoing trial before the Israeli
military courts, as it remains clear that these courts operate in blatant disregard for fundamental
international fair trial standards and lack any sort of meaningful protection for child detainees.
Addameer therefore calls for the charges against Mohammad to immediately be dropped, for
those responsible for his torture and ill-treatment to be investigated and prosecuted. Addameer
also calls the international community, EU member states in particular and relevant UN bodies
to pressure Israel to conduct a thorough and impartial criminal investigation into the conduct of
the soldiers who tortured and abused Mohammad Halabiyeh and bring the perpetrators to justice.
At the same time, Addameer contends that it is very unlikely that such an investigation will be
initiated without the needed political and diplomatic pressure given that the Israeli authorities
have consistently failed to investigate and indict its soldiers involved in criminal offenses against
Palestinian civilians in the OPT.
Criminal investigation of members of the security forces who commit offenses against
Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, ranging from manslaughter to abuse to looting,
is under the responsibility of the Military Advocate General (MAG), the Military Police Criminal
Investigation Department (MPCID) and the Department for the Investigation of Police Officers
in the Ministry of Justice. These law enforcement agencies have been under severe criticism
for their investigation of suspects and prosecution of members of the security forces accused
of committing such offenses. The concealing of the causes of Mohammad’s injuries in the
medical reports and that of the investigation into the soldiers’ conduct from Adv. Hassan only
demonstrates this trend. According to Yesh Din, during the years of the second intifada, 90
percent of MPCID investigations ended with the files being closed and without indictments
being filed. Addameer therefore urges foreign government officials, including members of
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