A Palestinian child, identified as Mohammad Mahdi Suleiman, 15 years of age, could face a life-term by an Israeli court for “throwing stones at the soldiers, and endangering their lives”.The child is from Hares village, near the central West Bank district of Salfit. He will be sent to court in the coming few days.
The Israeli Prosecution said it intends to ask for the highest penalty that could reach up to a life in prison, the Wa’ed Society for Detainees has reported.
Wa’ed said that the child was kidnapped on March 15 this year, after Israeli soldiers violently broke into his home and searched it.
He was then sent to a military court and the Israeli prosecutor’s office demanded that the child be sentenced to a life-term for throwing stones at the soldiers, and engendering their lives.
Wa’ed said that this is an unprecedented violation and abuse targeting the child, one of the youngest prisoners in the world, and called on the UNICEF and international human rights groups to intervene, and perform their moral and legal duty to protect the children.
It added that the child is being held under very tough conditions, facing torture and abuse, and that the Israeli interrogators deprive him from drinking water during long hours of interrogations, and that the interrogators even forced him to drink alcohol during interrogation.
The society said that the Israeli violations against the children, especially child prisoners, are ongoing and escalating, while the International Community continues to shed a blind eye.
