Mohammad Hoshyeh- youngest Jerusalemite prisoner inside an internal institution…and his brother Adam detained in Megiddo prison
The Magistrate judge decided to detain 12-year old Mohammad Ismaeel Hoshyeh inside an internal institution for a one-year renewable term.
Mohammad was arrested after raiding his home in the Old City of Jerusalem on 31/1/2016 and was transferred to Al-Qishleh police center and then to Al-Maskobyeh in West Jerusalem. He was interrogated on charges of participating in the stabbing of a settler in the area of Damascus Gate and possession of a knife. After a one-day detention at Al-Maskobyeh, he was transferred to an internal institution in the 1948 lands without the knowledge if his family.
Mohammad’s mother said: “Mohammad was directly transferred from Al-Maskobyeh to an internal institution and we were not informed where he was detained for the first 10 days. Afterwards, we found out he was detained inside an internal institution in Eibleen in the Galilee Heights.
She added: “They extended his arrest several times inside the institution until the Magistrate judge recently decided to detain him for a one-year renewable term inside and institution; he was transferred from Eibleen to an institution in Jerusalem.”
In regards to communicating with Mohammad, she said: “We visit him once a week for 30 minutes inside a room with the presence of a supervisor. I am able to hug and kiss him but we can’t talk alone and are not allowed to lower our voices while talking. Every now and then, he calls me but he gets disconnected quickly.”
Mohammad’s mother expressed her concern about the situation of her son as he is detained inside an institution where children are detained on criminal charges. In every visit, signs of worry and fatigue are obvious on his face which is usually pale. Mohammad is not like before. He was always happy and smiling. Today he is deprived from being home, going to school and seeing his friends as well as everything else.
She explained that the lawyer requested the court to allow Mohammad to do his final exams in order not to miss a whole school-year but his request was rejected; he is in 6th grade.
The pain of Mohammad’s mother goes further as her 16-year old son Adam is detained in Megiddo prison and is serving an 8-month prison sentence on charges of throwing stones; he turned himself-in last February after spending two years in an internal institution himself.
She said: “I can’t visit Adam. I am banned from visiting him until the end of 2017. During one visit last March, we were dramatically provoked by the female soldiers resulting in verbal altercations with the soldiers and I was banned since then.”
