The Israeli military court Ofer Monday decided to extend the detention of 14-year-old Malak al-Khatib from the village of Beitin, in the Ramallah district, until January 11, said the child’s father.
Ali al-Khatib, Malak’s father told WAFA that his daughter was detained on December 31 of 2015, under the pretext of throwing stones at Israeli soldiers at the bypass road near her school.
He said that Malak had a hearing on Sunday, but her detention was extended until January 11. The father said that the family was informed of the possibility to pay a fine of 6000 shekels ($1523) for Malak's release.
The lawyer defending the girl is trying to lower the amount, said the father.
Malak’s family wasn’t able to visit her at the detention center, but only saw her at the court on Sunday. Her father said that she looked distressed and scared. “After all she is only 14,” he explained desperately.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Club (PPC) said in a press release distributed to local media that the extension came in light of the alleged need to acquire a good conduct report before the ruling.
According to the Defense for Children International Palestine (DCI-Palestine), “Israel is the only state to automatically and systematically prosecute children in military courts that lack basic standards of due process.”
It said in a report on the arrest of minors by Israel that “Around 500 - 700 Palestinian children, some as young as 12, are arrested, detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military detention system each year. The majority of Palestinian child detainees are charged with throwing stones.'
While Palestinian children endure such conduct, no Israeli children come into contact with the military court system, proving the amount of discrimination in the Israeli system.
A testimony of a child identified as Z.Q., who was detained by Israeli soldiers, published in a UNICEF report, says “I was dragged downstairs and I banged my head against the front door because I was blindfolded and the soldiers were careless. I was in shock and pain. The impact of the bang was so hard I bled.”
According to the report, children detainees are treated harshly in most cases. It mentioned measures such as binding hands and eyes, signing documents in Hebrew, physical and verbal abuse, night arrests, threats, strip searches and solitary confinement to name a few.
Local and international media outlets reported on Israel’s cabinet’s decision to back a law change allowing harsher sentences of up to 20 years for stone throwers after the recent tensions in Jerusalem’s Old City.
