Syrian teen turns to Israeli court to remain after recovery in hospital

 

Female Syrian teenager who was injured and later treated in an Israeli hospital, claims returning to Syria would risk her life, and relatives in another Arabic country are prepared to take her in.

By Aviel Magnezi

A Syrian teenager who has been hospitalized at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa has filed a petition with the High Court of Justice in recent days requesting to not send her back to her country.

A Syrian patient in his hospital bed in Israel - Photo: Channel 10 screenshot

A Syrian patient in his hospital bed in Israel – Photo: Channel 10 screenshot

The girl claims in the appeal that returning to her homeland may risk her life, and that she had already lost several family members in the battles in which she was injured. The girl is asking to be taken to another Arabic country in which other relatives of hers reside.

The appeal, filed by attorneys Tamir Blanc and Adi Lustigman of the organization Physicians for Human Rights, notes that Israeli security officials have come to the hospital and asked to transfer the Syrian girl, aged 17, to Syria “immediately”, which prevents the girl from requesting asylum or to be transferred to a third country and may “put her life in danger”.

The petitioners asked the court to issue an urgent injunction to prevent the teen’s transfer to Syria pending another decision on the matter.

Meanwhile, the petitioners also turned to the IDF‘s Medical Corps and the Health Ministry to delay the return to Syria; however these authorities informed them recently that they located the girl’s family in Syria and that is why she will be returned to there.

The High Court appeal states that the young girl, who was injured in battles in Syria which also claimed the lives of her mother and several other family members, fears for her life, and is requesting to be sent to relatives in another country. The petition notes that the relatives were informed of the issue and are willing to take the teen in.

The attorneys argue that the girl’s claims should be examined and meanwhile she should remain in Israel, in light of the ruling by which no threatened asylum seeker should be returned to a region where his or her life would be in danger.

The Physicians for Human Rights organization stated that they “refuse to comment due to the matter’s sensitivity”.

 

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4479483,00.html