Amnesty calls on Israel to end administrative detention

Amnesty International has called on Israel to release all Palestinians held under what the Hebrew state refers to as "administrative detention", which allows for the detention of suspects for a 6-month period with the possibility of unlimited renewal, or to charge and try them fairly. "For decades, Amnesty International has urged Israel to end the practice of administrative detention and to release detainees or charge them with an internationally recognizable criminal offence and try them according to international standards," said Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Ann Harrison. As of the end of April there were at least 308 Palestinian administrative detainees, among them 24 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), human rights defenders, journalists, in addition to university students and academic staff, Amnesty has reported Wednesday. According to the report, administrative detainees have been subjected to violations such as the use of torture and other ill-treatment during interrogation, as well as cruel and degrading treatment during their detention, sometimes as punishment for hunger strikes or other protests. The report calls on Israel to stop using these measures to suppress the legitimate and peaceful activities of activists and urges the immediate and unconditional release prisoners of conscience held just for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike had agreed on a deal with Israel to end their fast in return for an easing of their conditions. The deal was reached after talks mediated by Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, but the detention renewal remained. Most of some 2,000 prisoners, more than one-third of the 4,800 Palestinians in Israeli jails, began refusing food on April 17 although a few had been fasting much longer.