[ 06/06/2011 – 05:00 PM ]
NABLUS, (PIC)– A human rights group has revealed that the Israel Prison Service is detaining an ill Palestinian boy left nearly blind by Israeli occupation force soldiers.
The development shows that the IPS has not restricted its medical neglect policy to adult prisoners alone.
Ismail Turki Mohammed Okel, 16, from the Old City of Nablus was arrested a year back and sentenced to 20 months in jail.
His mother says that Ismail was forced to leave school and provide for his family by working in a local restaurant after his brother passed away about six years ago.
She said that earlier in 2002, Ismail was caught in a situation while playing ball with friends. After an Israeli soldier stationed nearby claimed to have been attacked by stones, patrol cars began searching for suspects; and they reportedly hit Okel with their vehicle under suspicion that he was behind the attack.
Ismail’s mother Umm Rasmi asserted that the soldiers not only ran Oker down but they also assaulted him with the butts of their rifles, putting him in a coma for a week as he stayed at the Rafidia hospital in Nablus.
The crash broke Oker’s skull and caused internal bleeding and broken teeth and back pains, and he also lost about 70 percent of his vision, ISHRO researcher Ahmed al-Beitawi said.
Eight years after the incident, Oker was arrested by IOF soldiers on the Israeli Hawara checkpoint and taken to the Megiddo prison.
Still suffering the effects of the incident in 2002, Oker is at stake of losing all of his vision if not provided treatment, Beitawi said.
He said he has submitted several requests to see the prison medic but has not received any response yet.
The youth also suffers from severe pain in his left foot after burns he sustained as a child.
The IPS has banned visits by his mother since the detention period began in June 2010 for alleged security reasons.
International law bans the detention of minors in correctional rehabilitation facilities.
- Special Topic | Palestinian Children
- Special Topic | Ethic Cleansing
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