20 Jan 2022; MEMO: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR, have called on the Israeli authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Amal Nakhleh, a seriously-ill Palestinian teenager who has been in Israeli detention without charge or trial for over a year.
"The Government of Israel has extended the detention of Amal Nakhleh until 18 May, 2022, without charge or trial. Amal, 17 years old when arrested, has been in administrative detention for more than one year" the UN agencies said in a joint statement.
"Neither Amal nor his lawyers or family have been informed of the reasons for his arrest and detention. Amal suffers from a severe autoimmune disease that requires continuous medical treatment and monitoring.
"We call for Amal's immediate and unconditional release from detention, in line with international human rights law".
Israel detains about 5,000 Palestinians, including about 500 prisoners in administrative detention, an Israeli procedure that allows the Israeli authorities to detain a person without charge for a period of 6 months, subject to renewal.
