Hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons without charge or trial have launched an open-ended boycott of Israel’s military courts.
In a joint statement announcing Thursday’s move, 450 people jailed under Israel’s controversial practice of administrative detention said their decision had been taken “collectively and unanimously”.
“The core of resisting administrative detention policy comes from boycotting this Israeli legal system,” the detainees, held in various locations, said in the statement.
Palestinians held without trial to boycott Israeli courts: official | @AFP https://t.co/86CFM8qLxd
— Ben White (@benabyad) February 14, 2018
“We put our faith and trust in our people, their power and institutions, and in the civil society which will not leave us alone in this fight.”
The prisoners also urged the Palestinian Authority to take the issue of administrative detention to the International Criminal Court (ICC) “as soon as possible”.
Administrative detention is a vague legal process that allows Israel to imprison Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip without charge or trial for an indefinite period. These arrests are based on undisclosed “secret evidence”.
Some 450 Palestinian prisoners held without charge boycott Israeli courts https://t.co/scYlVpOKR8 pic.twitter.com/yMFUbNhRaG
— The IMEU (@theIMEU) February 15, 2018
In recent months, there has been a spike in the number of arrests made without charge, especially as protests across the occupied territories – including East Jerusalem – erupted over a US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Sahar Francis, director of Addameer, a Ramallah-based prisoners’ rights group, said there were three stages to the prisoners’ move.
“The first is to boycott the reaffirmation hearings, which endorse detention based on an undisclosed national security threat,” Francis told Al Jazeera.
https://t.co/Jcgh3FpdhN @purplhaze42 @TanyaKasim @Pal2Pals59 @rico_hands @rk70534 @OhRoyalOne @Betelgeuse100 @Saanieboy69 @Grims_Domain @leena_dajani @Springbaby777 @AlgerianPalest @178kakapo @meNabster @inabster -Palestinians held without charges boycott Israeli courts
— x Madenie x dan (@MadzXdan) February 15, 2018
“Then, they will boycott the appeals court, which is a military court, but there for lawyers to appeal the reaffirmation decisions,” she said.
“And the final stage is to boycott the option to appeal to the constitutional court.”
Lawyers representing the detainees have also agreed not to attend court hearings.
Throughout the duration of the boycott, detainees will be risking losing access to family visitation rights and prison canteens, as well face the possibility of solitary confinement as a means of reprisal.
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, held without charge have launched an open-ended campaign to boycott the illegal israeli military courts!https://t.co/3H3KKr1UlY pic.twitter.com/VB8uBKCqOv
— Khalil Alzamer (@zmerkh) February 15, 2018
During their forced transfer to hearings, detainees are often beaten, verbally abused and dragged in chains.
Other risks include courts going ahead with hearings even without the presence of the prisoners and their lawyers, in violation of international standards.
(Aljazeera, PC, Social Media)
