IPFS Stephen Lendman

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Israel Arresting Palestinian Youths for Facebook Posts

Israel Arresting Palestinian Youths for Facebook Posts

by Stephen Lendman

For nearly half a century, Palestinians have endured brutal occupation harshness. They've been ruthlessly persecuted, denied their fundamental human and civil rights, falsely arrested, imprisoned, tortured or murdered at Israel's discretion - youths and children treated as viciously as adults.

On October 17, Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP) reported Palestinian youths being indefinitely administratively detained, untried and uncharged, for Facebook posts Israel wants suppressed.

Harshly interrogated at Ofer military prison in August, Ahmed H., aged 17, said he was asked for his Facebook password.

"I gave it to the (interrogator). He logged in and said it had inciting photos. I told (him) of my arrest earlier in April 2016 for 10 days…interrogated (then) about my Facebook account."

"I told him I deleted everything upon my release and the account is clean. I told him to check it." He was accused of "obstructing the interrogation, claiming that I had asked someone to delete the photos, but I denied it."

During his August interrogation, Ahmed was "question(ed) about posting inciting pictures on my Facebook account. I told him I had not posted anything after my release and I had not asked anyone to delete the ones I had posted."

Three days later, he was administratively detained for six months, subject to indefinite renewals at Israel's discretion.

According to DCI-P, at least four other Palestinian youths under age 18 were administratively detained, Israel outrageously claiming their Facebook posts included incitement to commit violence.

Fadi J. was wrongfully detained for posting a picture of a rifle on his Facebook page - unjustly accused of threatening Israeli security, despite no evidence suggesting it.

In September, Facebook agreed to work with Israel in censoring content - on the phony pretext of preventing incitement.

During the past 12 months, Israel administratively detained 19 Palestinian youths under age 18. Six remain imprisoned. None committed a crime.

According to DCIP, "Israel has the dubious distinction of being the only country in the world that systematically prosecutes between 500 and 700 children in military courts each year that lack fundamental fair trial rights."

In September, the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners' Affairs said at least 1,000 Palestinian minors aged 11 to 18 were wrongfully detained since January - many tortured or ill-treated.

Prisoner rights group Addameer reported 340 Palestinian minors incarcerated by Israel as political prisoners, brutalized in captivity, denied their fundamental rights, forced to sign confessions in Hebrew they don't understand for offenses they didn't commit.

Western media scoundrels largely ignore longstanding Israeli harshness. America rewards its regime with annual billions of dollars in aid - largely for military purposes, including for persecuting millions of Palestinians ruthlessly.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.


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