Diaa Hroub, Palestinian student activist with the Progressive Democratic Student Pole (the left-wing student union group at Bir Zeit University), was ordered by an Israeli military court to another 6 months of administrative detention without charge or trial on 17 January.
He has already been held for six months under an administrative detention order, after being arrested as part of the mass arrest campaigns carried out by Israeli occupation forces in June-July 2014. Hroub is a longtime advocate against political detention by Israeli occupation forces and also by the Palestinian Authority, and has advocated for all those unjustly imprisoned regardless of political affiliation.
The order against Hroub is the latest of dozens of administrative detention orders and renewals issued in January 2015 by Israeli military courts. Administrative detention means that Palestinians can be held without charge or trial, solely on the basis of secret evidence, for renewable periods of up to six months. Some Palestinians have been held in administrative detention for years, like Mahmoud Shalatwa, who launched a hunger strike demanding his freedom. The use of administrative detention dates from the period of British colonial control of Palestine and is now used by the Israeli occupation. There are approximately 500 Palestinians imprisoned without charge or trial under administrative detention.
Free Diaa Hroub! End administrative detention!
