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Palestinians of all ages are prosecuted unjustly. Young children are treated like adults. Family members and legal counsel face enormous obstacles.
Observers called what they saw "Kafkaesque." Others described "kangaroo court" proceedings. Some referred to Guantanamo justice. Proceedings lack fairness.
"A common thread throughout the impressions is how the security checks, the long waits before being let into the courtroom and the treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli military judges and officers portray the Israeli occupation in microcosm."
It's one among many aspects of Israeli apartheid. Institutionalized racism is official Israeli policy. Palestinians charged with offenses are guilty unless proved innocent. Doing so is virtually impossible.
Since 1967, an estimated 750,000 faced prosecutorial harshness. Few ever achieve justice. Around 20% of Palestine's population was affected. Up to 40% of males spent time in prisons.
Their crime was praying to the wrong God and wanting to live free. Israel calls it terrorism or terrorist related activity.
Since 2000, 8,000 Palestinian children were arrested. Some are young as 10. Occasionally they're even younger. Each year, about 700 are prosecuted under kangaroo court conditions. Most often it's for stone-throwing.
Some face prison time. All go through harrowing arrests, interrogations, various forms of abuse, and isolation from family members and legal help.
Military orders, regulations, and other diktats regulate all aspects of Palestinian life. Five categories of offenses affect them:
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