31 8T SESSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, UNITED NATIONS HELD AT GENEY A, SWITZERLAND - [Item 7 General Debate]

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21 March 2016 G 1ood Morning Dear Mr. President

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Today, South Africa commemorates Human Rights day. A reminder of our hard fought struggle against apartheid. I bear the burden of submitting to the Human Rights Council of the atrocities that are being committed by the most abominable occupying force this world has ever known. In 2015,'according to Israeli Prison Services own statistics: 1. The last quarter 9f2015 saw a marked rise in the number of Palestinians·in Israeli custody, including administrative detainees, women and minors: At the end of 2015, 6,066 Palestinians were being held on contentious security grounds, the .highest number since July 2010. [This includes 584 administrative detainees - the most since September 2008; 422 minors - the most since August 2008 and 44 women - the most since September 2009.] 2. Home confinement has also been imposed: Chairman of Prisoners Families Committee of

Jerusalem "home confinement is the worst thing to happen to Jerusalemite children where they are
deprived offreedom of movement and going to s~hool".
3. Home confinement for children violates the International Declaration of Children Rights of 1959, and the Child Rights Convention with reference to articles 3 and 39 respectively prohibiting torture, arbitrary arrest and/or detention and restriction of movement.

.Comparative apartheid and violation of Prisoners rights
It is incontrovertible that Israel has legislated discriminatory practises and institutionalised racism constituting apartheid. Israel's administrative detention can be compared to SA's former 90 day detention without trial
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Apartheid violates enshrined principles in the bill of rights, offends constitutional and democratic principles and the values espoused in the universal declaration of human rights, treaties, conventions and international law.

In conclusion, I hereby tender the undermentioned proposals for justice to victims and the upholding of enshrined universal hmiian rights:
1. This Council adopts that that there are apartheid practices in the detention, treatment and processing of Palestinian prisoners and· children. Hence, there are grave breaches of the International Convention on

the Suppression and Punishment.of the Crime ofApartheid, "inhuman acts resulting from the policy of apartheid" are qualified as crimes against humanity
2. Israel unconditionally and immediately release all prisoners and child prisoners held unlawfully under international law, provide adequate compensation for rehabilitation and conform to principles of due process in accordance with the tenets·of international law. Israel immediately cease home confinement and its administrative military detention policy and other inhumane and unjust practises like'torture, sexual abuse violation against the (Torture Convention), collective punishment and destruction of homes of detainees which are all inconsistent with international and international humanitarian law. This Council exercise its powers in so far as calling Israel to account for crimes it commits with impunity in contravention of international law and for the referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to exercise jurisdiction and/or the establishl_llei1t of a War Crimes Tribunal. A declaration that torture of children and Palestinians held in Israeli prisons constitute crimes against· humanity and a full disclosure of the names and identities by the Israeli Prison Service artd /or its .relevant Authorities of the perpetrators of these crimes who must be held accountal?le under international law.

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