The relatives of Muawiyah and Ali Alqam the two Palestinian children detained by Israel have expressed their concern over their health and safety.
Muawiyah 14 is serving six and a half years in Megiddo prison while Ali is currently in a rehabilitation center in Bayt Naqquba village west of Jerusalem until he reaches the legal age for trial.
Abdullah Alqam uncle of the children affirmed that the two boys were exposed to harsh interrogation psychologically and physically.
Alqam stated that the international law does not allow the detention or trial of children asserting that Israel is the only entity in the world that violates the law in this regard.
He stressed that the trial of these two children is a trial for the world’s conscience pointing out that Ali was 11 years old when arrested and was suffering from multiple bullet injuries.
Muawiyah and Ali were arrested on November 10 2015 after being shot by Israeli security men at the rail station in Occupied Jerusalem.
Their uncle said Israeli interrogators tortured them and poured cold water on them while naked adding that the prosecutor managed to postpone their trial until they become 14 years old and was able so far to extract a prison verdict against Muawiyah.
In this regard Ayed Abu Qutaish from Defense for Children International accused Israel of using different means to pressure Palestinian children and extract confessions from them under coercion.
In remarks to the Voice of Prisoners radio Abu Qutaish added that Israeli interrogators escalated the use of psychological pressure methods against adults and children such as intimidation and solitary confinement.
“Between 2012 and 2015 Defense for Children International documented 66 cases of children isolated during interrogation while the number of children who were isolated during detention increased in 2016 to 25 kids” he noted.
There are about 350 children under age 18 in Israeli jails.
