Amnesty International reports that there are 4,500 children in jail in Pakistan--most of whom have committed no crimes.

The charges are contained in a report called "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners," the BBC reported Thursday. The report claims children are sometimes jailed for years because their impoverished parents cannot pay their bail. When the children's cases finally come to court, the conviction rate can be as low as 15 percent, the report charged.

Other sickening details: There are 350 children on death row in Punjab and children are often housed with adult prisoners--which is illegal under Pakistani law.

Amnesty's press release is here. The report, "Pakistan: denial of basic rights for child prisoners" is available here.

Article 40, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, provides:

"State parties recognize the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child's sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces the child's respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the child's age and the desirability of promoting the child's reintegration and the child's assuming a constructive role in society."