The number of Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life in jail by Israel has reached 501, according to the Palestinian Information Centre.
The last prisoner to be sentenced was Amjad Al-Najjar, who was also fined 35,000 shekels ($98,700), after being accused of perpetrating an anti-occupation attack that killed a settler and injured three others.
Israeli law defines a life sentence as a 99-year term of imprisonment.
501 Palestinians sentenced to life in Israeli jails via @KhamakarPress https://t.co/9tkAEI2aA2
— Paolo for #Gaza✌ (@PSogeco) September 27, 2017
A total of 6,500 Palestinians are currently imprisoned in 22 Israeli prisons; around 550 are being held under administrative detention orders without charge. Almost 60 Palestinian women and girls are held by Israel, along with 350 boys and 12 Members of Parliament.
Israel is known to regularly abuse and torture Palestinian prisoners, including children and those on hunger strike, many of whom have been sentenced to decades in jail, even if not for life.
Israel’s detention and treatment of Palestinian prisoners has been criticized by numerous human rights organizations. Last week, Amnesty International condemned Israel’s use of administrative detention against Palestinian rights activists.
Amnesty’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Magdalena Mughrabi, emphasized that the Israelis have relied upon the practice for 50 years to suppress peaceful dissent.
(PC, MEMO, Social Media)
