Child Prisoners and Detainees: Occupied Palestinian Territories Debate

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Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Child Prisoners and Detainees: Occupied Palestinian Territories

Paula Sherriff Excerpts
Wednesday 6th January 2016

(8 years, 11 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Paula Sherriff Portrait Paula Sherriff (Dewsbury) (Lab)
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I visited the west bank with my hon. Friend in September 2015 with the Council for Arab-British Understanding and Medical Aid for Palestinians, and we were briefed by Military Court Watch. Does my hon. Friend share my concern at the significant disparity between treatment of Palestinian and Israeli young people, including lack of legal representation and parental support, allegations of widespread abuse and having to sign confessions in Hebrew, among many others?

Sarah Champion Portrait Sarah Champion
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I share those concerns and will come to them. The disparity between the two legal systems includes, for example, a maximum period of detention without charge of 40 days for an Israeli child and 188 days for a Palestinian child.