Nidal Abu Aker among 36 Palestinians issued administrative detention orders; 67 so far in January

Israeli military courts confirmed or issued administrative detention orders – for imprisonment without charge or trial – against 36 Palestinian political prisoners by 14 January 2015. 67 administrative detention orders have now been issued or renewed in January alone.

nidalabuakerAmong those issued a renewal order for their detention was Nidal Abu Aker, 47, of Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem area. Abu Aker is a prominent leftist leader in the area, a former prisoner and administrative detainee, and a journalist with Sawt al-Wihda (Voice of Unity) radio, the only radio station that broadcasts directly from Dheisheh refugee camp. He was arrested on 28 June 2014, and has served over 9 years, following multiple arrests, in administrative detention.

Administrative detention orders, which frequently target community leaders, are issued without charge or trial and on the basis of secret evidence – if any. They can range from one to six month periods and are indefinitely renewable; Palestinians can spend years in administrative detention, never charged or tried. Thirty Palestinians had their administrative detention renewed in this group, while 6 more new orders were issued.

The use of administrative detention has escalated in the past year; it is a form of imprisonment without charge or trial used against Palestinians since the British colonial mandate, and continued by the Israeli occupation forces. The systematic use of arbitrary imprisonment by Israeli forces to punish Palestinians violates international humanitarian law under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Hundreds of administrative detainees engaged in a hunger strike in May 2014, in protest of their confinement without charge or trial. There are approximately 500 Palestinian political prisoners currently held in administrative detention.

1. Maher Nader Mubarak, Ramallah, Four months
2. Islam Abdel Latif Hirbawi, Hebron, Six months
3. Mahmoud Jibril Mahamreh,Yatta/Hebron, Four months
4. Ramzi Jihad Mousa, Tulkarem, Four months
5. Eid Suleiman abu Tahoun, Tulkarem, Four months
6. Yasin Daoud Abu Sneineh, Hebron, Four months
7. Ghassan Ragheb al-Saadi, Jenin, Four months
8. Ashraf Imran Asfour, Hebron, Six months
9. Bilal Salim Salhab, Hebron, Six months
10. Diyaa Mohammed Samour, Al-Bireh/Ramallah, Three months
11. Nayef Rajoub, Hebron, Four months (member of PLC)
12. Jihad Abd al-Fattah Humeidan, Ramallah, Three months
13. Bajis Mohammad Abu Eisha, Hebron, Three months
14. Nidal Kamal Mer’i, Jenin, Three months
15. Fathi Mohammed Atoum, Jenin, Four months
16. Issa Khairy Jaabari, Hebron, Three months
17. Shadi Mohammad Shehadeh, Bethlehem, Four months
18. Yousef Mohmmed Ghalmeh, Nablus, Three months
19. Oday Hashem Humoneh, Hebron, Three months
20. Zakariya Abdel Hamid Oweidat, Hebron, Four months
21. Bajis Mahmmoud Swaiteh, Hebron, Four months
22. Saleh Shehadeh Daoud, Hebron, Six months
23. Mohammed Maher Obaid, Hebron, Three months
24. Mahmoud Hassan Reidan, Bethlehem, Four months
25. Arafat Najih Nasir, Ramallah, Three months
26. Nidal Naim Abu Aker, Bethlehem, Four months
27. Huzayfa Jihad Salameh, Nablus, Three months
28. Khalid Nayif Salem, Bethlehem, Three months
29. Fadi Mousa Ghuneimat, Hebron, Four months
30. Yousef Mohammed Odeh, Ramallah, Six months
31. Mahmoud Rajih al-Habal, Nablus, Four months
32. Khader Adnan Mousa, Jenin, Six months
33. Amin Eid Battat, Hebron, Three months
34. Ghassan Thuqan, Nablus, Three months
35. Imad Alameh, Qalqilia, Six months
36. Wael Hashash, Nablus, Three months