Families and friends of Palestinian administrative detainees Eteraf Rimawi and Suad Rezeiqat celebrated their releases yesterday, Tuesday, 5 July.
Rimawi, the Executive Director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, has been imprisoned by Israeli occupation forces without charge or trial since 16 September 2014. His detention was renewed repeatedly despite widespread international criticism of his imprisonment, recognizing his status as a human rights defender.
After nearly two years of imprisonment under administrative detention, he was finally released on 5 July.
Also released after seven months of administrative detention (with a four month and then three month administrative detention order) was Suad Rezeiqat, imprisoned since 3 December 2015. She was arrested in a late-night raid on her family home by Israeli occupation soldiers, who ransacked the home and seized her devices, accusing her of “incitement” for posting on Facebook. She was released from Damon prison on 5 July. She had previously spent one and a half years in Israeli prisons in 2008-2009, accused of communications with “hostile parties” and involvement with the Palestinian resistance.
There are nearly 750 Palestinian prisoners held without charge or trial under administrative detention. Israel’s systematic practice of administrative detention is in violation of the Geneva Conventions and other international humanitarian and human rights conventions and principles. Administrative detention orders are issued for one to six months at a time and are indefinitely renewable; Palestinians under administrative detention are imprisoned without charge or trial on the basis of secret evidence, to which both the detainee and their lawyers are denied access.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network salutes Eteraf Rimawi and Suad Rezeiqat on their release, and demands the immediate release of all Palestinian prisoners and an end to the policy of administrative detention.
