PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
ISRAELI MILITARY TREATMENT OF PALESTINIAN CHILDREN (12 July 2015)

That this House condemns the charging of Palestinian children with offences under Israeli military law and their trial in military courts since the occupation of Palestinian territory in 1967; further condemns the arrests, detention and prosecution of around 700 Palestinian children in the Israeli military court system each year; acknowledges the work that Defence for Children International - Palestine does in increasing awareness and providing legal assistance for Palestinian children; condemns the physical violence that more than three-quarters of Palestinian child detainees in 2014 endured in some form between the period of their arrest and interrogation with half of those also strip-searched; notes that, during arrest and interrogation, 93 per cent of children were denied access to legal counsel and rarely informed of their rights, particularly their right against self-incrimination; further notes that last year almost all children confessed regardless of guilt in order to stop further abuse; notes that in 2014 more than 25 per cent of children signed statements in Hebrew despite not understanding the language; notes in addition that between 2012 and 2014 Israeli military, police and security agents held 54 Palestinian children in solitary confinement for interrogation purposes, prior to charging them with any offence, and that in 2014 the average time that an individual child spent in solitary confinement for interrogation purposes was 15 days; and calls on the Government to demand immediate action from the Israeli government to behave in line with international law.

Sponsored by:
Dr Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party)