By Yousef Aljamal
Palestine Prisoners Center has revealed that there are 485 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails sentenced to life, including Palestinian prisoners from Jerusalem and the 1948 territories.
The latest two political prisoners sentenced to life were Maher Alhashlamoun, 32, from Hebron, who was sentenced to four life sentences and Shadi Mtawee, 28, from Hebron, who was sentenced to three life sentences.
A life sentence for Palestinian political prisoners, that Israel calls ‘security prisoners’, comprises 99 years. Renowned Palestinian prisoner, Abdallah Al Barghouti was sentenced to 67 life sentences, and was classified as the first Palestinian on record to face such a high sentence.
Infographic: Palestinian Political Prisoners in Numbers (May 2016). pic.twitter.com/pkWfhoGfnZ
— Addameer –الضمير (@Addameer) June 7, 2016
In 2010, the number of Palestinian political prisoners sentenced to life was about 800; 300 of them were freed in the Schalit deal between Hamas and Israel in 2011. In 2013, 78 prisoners were released as part of an agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel to resume peace talks. Their number stood at 478 and reached 485 recently when more Palestinian political prisoners were sentenced to life.
An estimated 750,000 Palestinians have been imprisoned by Israel since 1967.
Palestinian leader Dr. Marwan Barghouti inside Zionist jail. He is sentenced to 5 times lifetime + 40 yrs.
4/01/2016 pic.twitter.com/pcIwIuglGC— Delic #BDS (@HamdoDelic) January 4, 2016
The Israeli army carries out night arrests in the West Bank, which results in the arrest of dozens of Palestinians, whose only crime is resisting the Israeli occupation.
-Yousef Aljamal is Palestine Chronicle Correspondent in the Gaza Strip.
