Demand US pressure Israel to release Ahmad Manasra, 14

(WASHINGTON DC 11/07/2016) – In a tragic miscarriage of justice, which unfortunately is typical of Israeli courts, Palestinian teen Ahmad Manasra, 14, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his alleged role in a supposed attempted knife attack against an Israeli settler on Oct. 12, 2015. 

After Israeli soldiers shot dead his cousin, Hassan, 15, a settler rammed Ahmad with his car. The severely wounded and bleeding child lay on the ground as other settlers kicked and beat him, yelling at him to “die,” according to a graphic video of the event. Another video shows Israeli interrogators berating the child, screaming at him; all while Ahmad hits himself in the head with cries that he couldn’t remember the incident. The behavior in the video is “a situation that may amount to torture,” according to Brad Parker, attorney and international advocacy officer at Defence for Children International – Palestine (DCIP).

Court authorities sentenced Ahmad as an adult. Israeli law considers the age at the time of trial – not the age at the time of the incident – in determining whether to proceed with juvenile or adult jurisdiction. Though Ahmad was 13 last October, authorities held him until he turned 14 purposely to try him as an adult and give him a longer prison sentence. Because of this case, the age of adulthood in Israeli civilian court, which applies to Palestinian children in East Jerusalem, was lowered from 14 years to 12 years, according to media reports. (Meanwhile, Israeli children are considered adults at the age of 18.) Israeli military law, which applies to Palestinians in the West Bank, already allows for the incarceration and trials of 12-year-old Palestinian children. 

Ahmad’s treatment and the new law lowering the age of adulthood for Palestinian children both violate international law, which “prioritizes rehabilitation and reintegration,” Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at DCIP, said in a statement. DCIP monitors the Israeli incarceration of Palestinian children. 

Ahmad’s lawyer contends there was no evidence tying the young boy to the alleged assault. “This is a racist court and a court of the occupation. It had a preconceived notion about the incident due to the media uproar and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's statements about it,” he told Al Jazeera English. “The Israeli public opinion influenced the court decision and led to the conviction of the child Ahmed Manasra on no basis and without any explanation.”

Israel is the only country in the world that prosecutes about 700 Palestinian children in military courts every year. While Ahmad was tried in a civilian court because he lives in East Jerusalem, his interrogation, incarceration and unjust sentence are no less barbaric and must be stopped.

As of August 2016, Israeli prison authorities are detaining 340 Palestinian children, according to prisoner rights’ group Addameer. We cannot forget these children nor can we let Ahmad spend the next 12 years in prison.

This is No Way to Treat a Child. As a founding member of the No Way to Treat a Child Campaign, AMP is asking for your help! Help us stop the Israeli detention of Palestinian children! And, please, help us seek justice for Ahmad.