🚨The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission reported on Sunday that child prisoners are enduring brutal beatings, extreme cold, starvation, and illness in “Megiddo” Prison and Moscobiya Detention Center, according to the commission’s statement.
Abuse and Harsh Conditions in Megiddo Prison
During a visit to several prisoners in “Megiddo” Prison, the Commission’s lawyer reported that Aysar Ashraf Ibrahim Abu Sbeitan, a 17-year-old from the town of Al-Tur, Al-Quds, has been detained since July 10, 2024, without sentencing. He is currently held in Section 4, Room 5, along with 10 other prisoners.
• Extreme Cold: The prisoners lack warm and sufficient clothing, and some only have half a blanket. They share blankets among themselves due to the shortage.
• Physical Abuse: Guards regularly assault the child prisoners. Every two days, they raid a random room and brutally beat its detainees.
• Gas Attacks: Abu Sbeitan stated that if any prisoner hangs a towel on their bed, a guard enters and violently beats them. Additionally, guards spraying tear gas into rooms became a habit for entertainment.
Medical Neglect and Further Abuse
Another child prisoner, Mohammed Yasser Hassan Darwish, a 16-year-old from Issawiya, Al-Quds, was sentenced to seven months and has been detained since November 24, 2024. He has been suffering from scabies for a month, along with other infected prisoners in Room 9.
• Widespread Infection: The entire section houses 40 infected prisoners, all suffering from severe itching and sleepless nights without medical treatment.
• Punishment for Seeking Medical Help: When Darwish demanded medical treatment, he was beaten and placed in solitary confinement for six days, along with prisoner Ahmed Tubasi.
• Brutal Raid: Days before the report, guards stormed the room with a dog, attacking prisoners. The dog scratched and terrified them, causing one prisoner to faint from fear.
• Denial of Basic Needs: As punishment, prisoners were banned from yard time for several days. Darwish also reported that they lack warm clothing and must share half a blanket with another prisoner. The prison administration provides only one plate of rice for 10 prisoners.
Torture in Moscobiya Detention Center
In Moscobiya Detention Center, child prisoner Mohammed Rateb Shehadeh Abu Ramishan, who is still awaiting trial, reported being violently interrogated and beaten on his back with rifles. Despite informing interrogators that he had undergone knee surgery, he was forced to kneel.
Another detainee, Ayman Mujahid Abdel Aziz Masalmeh, a school student from Halhul, was arrested on February 3, 2025. He suffered repeated blows to the head, leading to body convulsions.
• Coerced Confessions: The interrogators used intimidation, threats, and physical violence to force both child prisoners to confess. They were told that if they refused to admit guilt, they would face administrative detention. Under beatings and pressure, both confessed to throwing stones.
