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Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister,
Office of the Prime Minister,
3 Kaplan Street,
PO Box 187,
Kiryat Ben-Gurion,
West Jerusalem, Israel.

Dear Prime Minister,
Re: Implementation of recent recommendations by the UN Human Rights
Committee
We are writing to you out of our deep concern at persistent and
disturbing reports we are receiving
of the continuing ill-treatment and abuse of children held in Israeli
custody and detention.
We wish to draw your attention to the recent Concluding Observations
and recommendations issued
by the UN Human Rights Committee (the Committee) on 29 July 2010,
following its review of
Israel’s Third Periodic Report under the Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (CCPR).1
We note that the Committee reaffirmed its opinion that the CCPR
applies to both Israel and the
Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank, East Jerusalem and the
Gaza Strip), and to all persons
therein.
We specifically draw your attention to a number of concerns and
recommendations raised by the
Committee in relation to Palestinian children held in Israeli custody.
We wish to enquire whether
the appropriate Israeli authorities intend to implement the
recommendations designed to limit the
abuse of children held in custody, and if so, when, and if not, we
would welcome receiving reasons
why not? The specific concerns and recommendations we wish to bring to
your attention are as
follows:

1. Will the Israeli authorities refrain from prosecuting children
under 18 in military courts?

2. Will the Israeli authorities refrain from issuing administrative
detention orders to children under
18?

3. Will the Israeli authorities ensure that a family member is always
present during the
interrogation of every Palestinian child under 18? We note that
Israeli children are afforded this
protection under section 9(H) of the Youth (Trial, Punishment and
Modes of Treatment) Law
(1971).

4. Will the Israeli authorities ensure that a lawyer is always present
during the interrogation of any
child under 18? We note that neither Palestinian nor Israeli children
are currently afforded this
protection.

E-mail: bana@stoptorture.org.il Website: www.stoptorture.org.il