Israel: Prisoners

Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Israel on the welfare of Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli detention; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ivan Lewis
The administrative detention and treatment of Palestinian prisoners, especially Palestinian teenagers, in Israeli Prison Service facilities is a serious concern.

We have called on the Israeli Government to take immediate action to ensure all cases are reviewed by a court in accordance with fair procedures, and that their rights, particularly the rights to a fair trial and family visitation, are upheld. We made our concerns clear during Israel's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in the Human Rights Council in December 2008 and also in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 2008 Human Rights Report. We will continue to raise this with Israeli officials.