More sickness in Israhell

[Ognir]

HEBRON (Ma'an) -- An Israeli military court reversed Wednesday a ruling granting the release of a 12-year-old last week, keeping him in detention until legal procedures are complete, his lawyer said.

Sayel Rebhi Abu Quedair's bail was set at 5,000 shekels ($1,391.75) after he was detained from his school on 27 September on suspicion of throwing stones at Israeli forces, lawyer Nasser An-Nobani said, adding that the child, from Hebron, had been beaten during the arrest.

Prisoner Society director Qadura Fares denounced the court's decision, demanding all countries that are signatories to the International Convention of the Right of the Child to "actively move to curb Israel from targeting Palestinians and abusing them in military courts."

On 4 October, the military prosecution at the Ofer detention center delayed Abu Quedair's release by 72 hours to file an appeal against the court's decision to release the child.

Abu Quedair was detained days after 13-year-old Akram Da'an was arrested from his school in the Old City of Hebron by Israeli forces and tried for throwing stones at troops.

Da'an was later released following six days of detention and fined 2,000 shekels ($545). A Palestinian Prisoner Society lawyer said the military court ruled that Da'na was not allowed to return to his family home until his next trial is heard. During Da'na's hearing, he said, the military prosecutor objected to the child's release, prolonging the session for over an hour.

The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Information denounced the trial and arrest in a statement issued Monday, and called on Israel to release the 350 Palestinian children currently in Israeli custody.

In March 2010, an Israeli military tribunal released 12-year-old Al-Hassan Al-Muhtaseb after his father refused to pay a similar bailout fee, instead pledging to bring him in for trial if called.

At the time, the child's lawyer said no indictment had been filed nor were they any witnesses that Al-Muhtaseb, who was detained near his home in Hebron, had thrown stones on Israeli forces.


(This version of the article CORRECTS that Abu Quedair remains in detention and was not placed under house arrest.)

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