Israel detaining Palestinian minors without charge

At least five Palestinian minors have been imprisoned by Israel without being charged in recent months, for Facebook posts that Israeli authorities alleged amounted to “incitement” to commit violence, according to a report released Monday by rights group Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP).

Among them was a 17-year-old identified as Ahmad H., who told DCIP that he was interrogated twice in the first week of August for one and three hours, during which time he had no parent present or access to legal counsel.

Days later, Israeli authorities sentenced him to six months in administrative detention, Israel’s widely condemned police of internment without trial or charge based on undisclosed evidence, for indefinitely renewable periods of up to six months.

Fadi J., a 16-year-old interviewed by DCIP, was released on Sep. 2 after spending almost seven months in Israeli jail -- without any charges being brought against him -- for posting a picture of a rifle on his Facebook page.

“Israeli authorities must immediately stop using administrative detention against Palestinian minors,” the report quoted Brad Parker, attorney and international advocacy officer at DCIP, as saying. “Inability to file charges against children due to lack of evidence should never be grounds for holding them indefinitely without charge or trial.”