Israeli embassy sends letter to US senators defending detention of jailed Palestinian American teen

"The Israeli embassy in Washington has been circulating a letter on Capitol Hill defending its nine-month detention of a 16-year-old US citizen in military prison as pressure mounts from senators and civil society groups who have called for his release. The document, obtained by the Guardian, describes Israel's allegations against Mohammed Ibrahim and the medical treatment he has allegedly received in prison. It does not mention his dramatic weight loss or the fact that his family has had virtually no contact with him since his arrest in February."

"The document does not mention that Ibrahim later wrote in a sworn affidavit: The interrogator threatened that if I did not comply, he would instruct the soldiers to beat me. Out of sheer fear, I ultimately confessed. No lawyer or legal guardian appeared to be present, according to a video of the interrogation seen by the Guardian in July. As is often the case with information from the Netanyahu government, this letter deals in half-truths and is missing critical facts, said Chris Van Hollen, a US senator from Maryland. It must be the priority of the US government to secure the release of this American boy."

The Israeli embassy in Washington circulated a letter on Capitol Hill defending the nine-month military detention of 16-year-old US citizen Mohammed Ibrahim. The letter outlines Israel's allegations and claims about his medical monitoring, but omits his dramatic weight loss and near-total lack of family contact since his February arrest. Ibrahim, a dual Palestinian American from Florida, faces two counts of throwing objects at moving vehicles. He alleges a coerced confession after an interrogation during which he says an interrogator threatened beatings and no lawyer or guardian was present. Twenty-seven Democratic lawmakers sought US intervention; a hearing was postponed to mid-December.

Read at www.theguardian.com