Conviction rate for Palestinians in Israel’s military courts: 99.74%

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Unlike Jews, Palestinians under Israeli control in the West Bank are tried in military courts, where the rights of defendants rights are minimal, and the prosecution enjoys a low burden of proof and – most importantly – wears the same uniforms as the judges – IDF uniforms. In a military court, the testimony of a soldier who arrested a Palestinian can be enough to send a minor to prison. The results are staggering: Palestinians have no chance to walk free from an Israeli trial.

A new internal IDF document revealed today by Haaretz shows that in 2010, 99.74 percent of the trials of Palestinians in Israeli military courts ended in convictions. That’s 25 acquittals, out of 9,542 cases.

It seems that the system is getting better: In 2006, a report by Human Rights NGO Yesh Din showed that 99.71 percent of Palestinian defendants in Israeli military courts were convicted. That’s 26 acquittals out of 8,854.

Between 2005-2010, 835 Palestinian minors were accused of stone-throwing in Israeli military courts. One was acquitted.

Military justice is to justice as military music is to music, the saying goes. The system that Israel employs to arrest, prosecute and punish Palestinians over the last almost half century is the best proof of that."

http://972mag.com/conviction-rate-for-palestinians-in-israels-military-courts-99-74-percent/28579/

[Jefferson23]

1. I'm so pleased to learn of the significant reform effort taking place.

:sarcasm:

[Violet_Crumble]

2. 'Military justice is to justice as military music is to music'

So true!

[Scurrilous]

3. IDF cancels Palestinian confession over physical Shin Bet interrogation

Israeli military courts usually accept testimony of Shin Bet security service agents, even in cases where no one disputes confessions were obtained after suspects were beaten.

<snip>

"A West Bank military tribunal recently acquitted a Palestinian man who had been charged with several security offenses, after ruling that interrogators used prohibited practices including physical and psychological abuse and threats involving family members to force a confession from the suspect.

Acquittal in such circumstances is rare; Israeli military courts usually accept the testimony of Shin Bet security service agents, even in cases where no one disputes that confessions were obtained after the suspects were beaten.

Ayman Hamida, 37, from Izariya in East Jerusalem, was charged with carrying out a series of offenses over a period of several months. The most serious charge was shooting at a Border Police outpost near Jerusalem in September 2009.

Following his arrest, Hamida was brought to a Shin Bet facility. After being interrogated over a 40-day period by a team of agents, he was indicted for 17 crimes. The indictment was based in part on a confession obtained during interrogation."

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/idf-cancels-palestinian-confession-over-physical-shin-bet-interrogation-1.400003

[King_David]

4. Good

:thumbsup: