Juvenile Justice in Israel

Over 70 percent of juvenile defendants accept plea bargains in Israeli military juvenile courts, which have a startling conviction rate of more than 95 percent.
Ahed Tamimi seen in a protest in Nabi Saleh. (Haim Schwarczenberg)

Ahed Tamimi seen in a protest in Nabi Saleh. (Haim Schwarczenberg)

The practice of pre-conviction detention (denying bail) is the default in Israeli military courts. This means that Palestinian minors are faced with a choice of either fighting the charges and remaining in prison for the duration of their trial or signing a plea deal and receiving a reduced sentence.

Given the time spent in prison awaiting trial — Ahed, for example, has been imprisoned for three months already and her trial hasn’t even begun — even a defendant who is acquitted still might spend more time in prison that they would if they had agreed to sign a plea deal.

via Ahed Tamimi to spend 8 months in prison in plea deal | +972 Magazine