RAMALLAH, Saturday, January 11, 2019 (WAFA) – A decision by the Israel Prison Services (IPS) to move 60 Palestinian minor prisoners held at Ofer military camp and prison, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, to Damoun prison in Israel without any of their adult overseers has prompted strong protests by the prisoners, according to the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission.

It said in a statement that the adult prisoners who care for the minors were worried that the transfer may undermine the rights of the minor prisoners who could be abused by the prison guards in the absence of their adult overseers.

Some 200 minors are currently held in Israeli prisons out of nearly 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners incarcerated for resisting the Israeli occupation of their land. The adult prisoners usually take care of the minors and help them adjust to their new situation as well as represent them in any dispute with the IPS.

M.N./M.K.