Beit Maaravim, Old City, Jerusalem
Beit Maaravim, Old City, JerusalemYoni Kempinski

Five young Jewish girls were arrested on Sunday night in Jerusalem's Old City on suspicion of placing stickers nearby.

The stickers read, "Stop administrative detentions!"

The girls, some of whom are 14 years old, were taken to the local police station, where they were interrogated on suspicion of destroying property.

Two of the girls agreed to distance themselves from the Old City, and were released at 3:00a.m. The other three girls did not agree, and remained at the police station overnight, together with an attorney from the Honenu legal aid organization.

The girls will be brought on Monday to Jerusalem's Magistrates Court, where the Honenu attorney will represent them.

The interrogation was held during the evening, since it is forbidden to interrogate youth at night. However, one police commander issued a special permit to allow the interrogation to take place at night, without their parents present. This is usually done only when minors are interrogated and then warned.

"These five girls were detained late at night, simply because they were suspected of placing stickers with the words 'stop administrative detentions' nearby," the attorney said. "This detention is illegal and violates their basic rights, especially since these girls did not actually commit a crime."

"The police officers' actions raise several difficult questions. Instead of working to fight terrorists and those who support them, these officers are wasting their time on nonsense."