PALESTINIAN CHILDREN HELD IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

December 14, 2011 Al-Awda

According to Defense Children International, in October and November 2011,
at least four Palestinian children were held in solitary confinement by the
Israeli occupation army for between 3 and 24 days.

To read the story of Rasheed J. who was held in solitary confinement, go
here:
http://www.dci-palestine.org/documents/voices-occupation-rasheed-j-detention

On 18 October 2011, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture called for an end
to the practice of solitary confinement as well as a complete ban on its
use for juveniles.

"Considering the severe mental pain or suffering solitary
confinement may cause," Mr. Méndez warned, "it can amount to torture or
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment when used as a
punishment, during pretrial detention, indefinitely or for a prolonged
period, for persons with mental disabilities or juveniles." (See report to
the General Assembly
http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/445/70/PDF/N1144570.pdf?OpenElement)


ACTION

Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition calls on its members,
supporters and all people of conscience to write to President Barack Obama
and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to protest and demand that they direct
the state of Israel to immediately cease all targeted arrests of Palestinian
children, and to release all Palestinian children from its prisons including
those held in solitary confinement. The US administration must demand an
immediate end to all forms of institutionalized and systematic abuse of
Palestinian children by the state of Israel. The US government, which
supports Israel to the tune of billions of taxpayer dollars a year while
most ordinary Americans are suffering in a very bad economy, is bound by its
laws and international conventions to cut off all aid to Israel until it
ends all of its violations of human rights and basic freedoms in a
verifiable manner.

To contact the White House, please use http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Alternatively, write to:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Call: 202-456-1414
Fax: 202-456-2461

To contact the Secretary of State:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Main Switchboard: 202-647-4000
Secretary Hillary Clinton Office: 202-647-5291
Fax: 202-261-8577

Please cc your correspondence to child.rights@al-awda.org

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-918-9441
Fax: 760-918-9442
Fax Toll Free: 866-619-2090
E-mail: info@al-awda.org
WWW: http://al-awda.org