Israel Detains Palestinian-American Teen for 9 Months Without Charges

SadaNews - An American teenager of Palestinian descent is expected to appear in court in Israel later this week after being held for nine months without any charges being filed against him, according to the BBC.

Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old resident of Florida, was arrested in February while on vacation in the West Bank, accused of throwing stones at Jewish settlers, a charge he denies.

Last month, 27 Democratic members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives sent a letter to the U.S. State Department urging President Donald Trump’s administration to put more pressure on Israel to release him.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Mohammed committed a "serious crime that could lead to death," and that the court is proceeding with its due legal process.

However, the teenager’s family disputes this view.

His father, Zakhar Ibrahim, said before wiping a tear from his eye: "You can ask anyone you know, he is a very nice boy, fond of sports and (PlayStation) and his school."

Mohammed was arrested during a raid on his family’s vacation home in the Palestinian village of Al-Mazar, in the middle of the night by Israeli soldiers. He was 15 years old at the time.

Zakhar has not seen Mohammed or spoken to him since February. He stated: "He is just an ordinary cheerful child who loves and respects everyone."

Zakhar has been unable to talk to his son for nine months and only learned about his detention through court documents, claiming that his son was forced to confess.

According to court documents, Mohammed woke up surrounded by Israeli soldiers who tied him up and blindfolded him, throwing him onto the floor of a jeep and taking him away.

Zakhar, a father of four who runs an ice cream shop in Florida, explained that his son confessed to throwing stones only because the soldiers beat him.

The U.S. Embassy has assigned an official to follow up on Mohammed's situation in prison. Zakhar revealed that he has lost a lot of weight and his health condition is not good.

Mohammed is being held without charges in Ofer prison in the West Bank. The prison also houses adult detainees, including those convicted of the most serious terrorist crimes, including murder.

Mohammed’s case has received relatively significant attention for being an American citizen. However, there are about 350 Palestinian children held in Israeli prisons for security reasons, according to the Israeli prison service.

Many of them have not been charged, and human rights organizations, as well as the United Nations, report that some have been subjected to abuse and torture.