Israeli occupation authorities Wednesday issued administrative detention orders, without charge or trial, against 13 Palestinian detainees, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

PPS lawyer, Mahmoud al-Halabi, said nine out of the 13 detainees have spent months and years under administrative detention, without either indictment or trial.

The detention periods ranged between three to six months, indefinitely renewable by Israeli military courts.

B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights and information center, stated, “Under certain circumstances, this type of detention may be lawful. However, due to the substantial injury to due process inherent in this measure, international law stipulates that it may be exercised only in very exceptional cases – and then only as a last possible resort, when there are no other means available to prevent the danger.

“Nevertheless, Israeli authorities routinely employ administrative detention. Over the years, thousands of Palestinians have been held in Israeli custody as administrative detainees for extended periods of time.”

The center said, “Israel's use of administrative detention blatantly violates the restrictions of international law. Israel carries it out in a highly classified manner that denies detainees the possibility of mounting a proper defense.”

Over the years, Israel has placed thousands of Palestinians in administrative detention for prolonged periods of time, without trying them, without informing them of the charges against them, and without allowing them or their counsel to examine the evidence.

“In this way, the military judicial system ignores the right to freedom and due process, the right of defendants to state their case, and the presumption of innocence, all of which are protections clearly enshrined in both Israeli and international law,” it added.

Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes as a means to protest their illegal detention and demand an end to this policy which violates international law.

In February 2016, Palestinian journalist Mohammad Al Qiq ended 94 days of hunger strike which placed him on the verge of death. Al-Qiq was protesting his detention without charge or trial.

Source: WAFA