13-year-old Palestinian child prisoner, Ahmad Manasrah, faced an Israeli military court on 19 January – where he was told that his trial was postponed to 16th February. The Free Ahmad Manasrah campaign noted that this postponenment almost certainly came to ensure that the trial would ensue after Ahmad reaches his 14th birthday on 22 January.
Manasrah, run over by an Israeli car and was severely injured as he was kicked and cursed at by Israeli occupation settlers and police – all captured on video – is now facing an Israeli military court. There are nearly 500 Palestinian children held in Israeli prisons, and over 2,200 children were arrested in 2015; some detained for a few days and some pushed into the military court and prison system. Even brief detentions have a real impact on Palestinian children who are interrogated, often taken from their home in night-time raids, threatened and abused.
International attention to Manasrah’s case is growing. The international Free Ahmad Manasrah campaign protested outside the UNICEF office in Amman, Jordan, calling on UNICEF to take a stand on Manasrah and other imprisoned Palestinian children.
In Aarhus, Denmark, Palaestina Aktion held a vigil and candle-lighting for Manasrah on 18 January, addressing UNICEF and calling for international action on his case and that of other imprisoned Palestinian children. In addition, Danish activists will gather on Friday, 22 January at 7:00 pm at Foreningernes House in Gellerup, to mark Manasrah’s birthday and highlight the struggle of Palestinian children.
In Bergen, Norway, activists gathered on 18 January in Torgalmennigen, urging freedom for Manasrah and all imprisoned Palestinian children. Activists also called for building the movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel, highlighting the injustice of Israeli occupation and imprisonment against the Palestinian people. Actions have also been organized in Bristol, London, New York City and elsewhere highlighting Manasrah’s case.
For more information, please visit the Free Ahmad Manasrah campaign.
