Palestinian journalist, human rights defender Hasan Safadi ordered to additional 6 months imprisonment without charge, trial

hasan-safadiPalestinian journalist, youth activist, human rights defender and prisoners’ rights advocate Hassan Safadi’s administrative detention – Israeli imprisonment without charge or trial – was extended for an additional six months by Israeli occupation forces on Thursday, 8 December. Friends and family of Safadi, the Arabic media coordinator for Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, had anticipated his release until his detention was suddenly extended at the last minute.

Safadi, 24, was seized by occupation forces on 1 May while crossing the Karameh bridge between Jordan and Palestine’s West Bank returning from an Arab youth conference in Tunisia. He was held under harsh interrogation for 40 days at al-Moskobiyeh interrogation center in Jerusalem and then ordered to administrative detention without charge or trial after previously given a release decision. He was simultaneously sentenced to three months in prison for contact with an enemy state, for participating in a Palestine solidarity conference in Lebanon.

Safadi is one of dozens of Palestinian media workers and journalists imprisoned by the Israeli state, some like him without charge or trial under administrative detention. There are over 700 Palestinians imprisoned without charge or trial on the basis of “secret evidence” and 7000 Palestinian political prisoners.

The administrative detention order against Safadi followed the issuance of 19 such orders between 1 and 6 December, as follows below. 111 administrative detention orders were issued in the month of November.

1. Yousef Ahmad Masharaqah, from Jenin, 4 months, extension
2. Islam Bassam Abu Ali, from Jenin, 4 months, extension
3. Tariq Abdel-Karim Khader, Ramallah, 4 months, extension
4. Abdallah Asad Amireh, Ramallah, 3 months, extension
5. Ahmad Yasri Suweiri, al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
6. Shadi Mohammed Herama, Bethlehem, 3 months, extension
7. Mohsen Mahmoud Shreim, Qalqilya, 3 months, extension
8. Omar Subhi Mutir, Qalandiya refugee camp, 4 months, extension
9. Ayoub Mohammed Khaddour, Ramallah, 6 months, extension
10. Bilal Mohammed Suwayta, al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
11. Adam Mohammed Shaikha, al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
12. Abdel-Qader Mohammed Sharawna, al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
13. Mohammed Mahmoud Awad, al-Khalil, 4 months, new order
14. Mohammed Ahmed al-Najjar, al-Khalil, 6 months, new order
15. Issam Maher Obeid, al-Khalil, 4 months, new order
16. Yousef Ismail Hamdan, al-Khalil, 6 months, new order
17. Khaled Ahmed Abed Rabbo, Tulkarem, 6 months, new order
18. Saif Mustafa Nasser, 4 months, new order
19. Louay al-Ashqar, from Tulkarem, 4 months, new order