Nearly 500 Palestinians jailed without charge or trial continue boycott of Israeli courts for 68 days

Nearly 500 Palestinian prisoners held without charge or trial under administrative detention orders are continuing their boycott of Israeli courts for the 68th day as of 23 April. They launched their boycott on 15 February, refusing to participate in the hearings that serve as a rubber stamp of the orders for their imprisonment without charge or trial that come from the Israeli military and security forces.

Maher Harb of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Committee in Nablus said that they are considering escalating steps in their struggle, up to and potentially including an open hunger strike.

Administrative detention orders are indefinitely renewable and are issued in one to six month periods at a time. The detainees are demanding an end to the practice of administrative detention, which dates from the period of the British colonial mandate in Palestine before being adopted as a tool of Zionist colonization. Palestinians can be jailed for years at a time without charge or trial; Ibrahim al-Arouj, 34, just had his administrative detention renewed for the eighth time, ordering him arbitrarily imprisoneed for another three months.

Several Palestinian prisoners, including one held in administrative detention, are also engaged in hunger strikes; Sami Janazra, held without charge or trial, has been on hunger strike for 28 days. He previously won his release from a previous period of administrative detention with a 69-day strike. Among the ohter hunger strikers are Amir al-Sarkaji, protesting his interrogation in Petah Tikva for 26 days and Diaa al-Shani, protesting his re-arrest in Etzion detention center for 9 days.

The Israeli occupation authorities have issued 41 administrative detention orders against Palestinian prisoners since the beginning of April through the 18th of the month, said Palestinian lawyer Mahmoud al-Halabi of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society.

The orders were issued against the following Palestinians:

1. Issam Imad Nazzal, Jenin, 4 months, new order
2. Ribhi Talal Shahwan, Ramallah, 4 months, extension
3. Tayseer Taleb Othman Abu Sneineh, al-Khalil, 6 months, extension
4. Musaab Salah Samhan, Ramallah, 3 months, extension
5. Lutfi Taher Malaisheh, Jenin, 6 months, extension
6. Murad Mohammed Fashafsha, Jenin, 6 months, extension
7. Aws Mohammed Khader, Tulkarem, 6 months, extension
8. Ahmed Fawzi Sawaftah, Tubas, 6 months, new order
9. Yazan Walid Ayyash, Ramallah, 4 months, extension
10. Abdel-Rahman Shawqi Shuaibat, Bethlehem, 6 months, extension
11. Mohammed Nafez Kashtam, Jenin, 3 months, new order
12. Moataz Mohammed Sharaya, Bethlehem, 4 months, extension
13. Allam Ziad Jaradat, Jenin, 6 months, new order
14. Nawaf Suleiman Sawarka, Bethlehem, 3 months, extension
15. Sufyan Bassam Mikdadi, Ramallah, 6 months, extension
16. Muatassim Mohammed Abidu, al-Khalil, 6 months, new order
17. Ismail Khalil Alayan, Bethlehem, 6 months, extension
18. Mahmoud Farhan al-Dariyah, Bethlehem, 4 months, new order
19. Basel Osama al-Aissa, Bethlehem, 6 months, extension
20. Ghassan Abdel-Wahab al-Zughaybi, Jenin, 3 months, extension
21. Sultan Ibrahim Bawadi, Ramallah, 4 months, extension
22. Alaa Ali Hamed, Ramallah, 6 months, extension
23. Fahd Abdel-Aziz Zaarour, Jenin, 4 months, extension
24. Ashraf Riad Dar Radi, Ramallah, 5 months, extension
25. Khalil Khader Shawka, Bethlehem, 6 months, extensin
26. Mahmoud Suleiman Abu Shehab, Qalqilya, 4 months, extension
27. Mohammed Abdallah Harb, Jenin, 3 months, extension
28. Mohammed Yassin Shalaldeh, al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
29. Rami Hesham Abu Safiyeh, al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
30. Yousef Mustafa Kaabneh, Jericho, 6 months, new order
31. Musaab Hussein Rabie, Jerusalem, 4 months, extension
32. Ibrahim Issa Mansour, Jerusalem, 4 months, extension
33. Thaer Aziz Halahleh, al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
34. Basil Khaled Dweikat, Nablus, 4 months, extension
35. Hussein Mohammed Mardawi, Nablus, 4 months, extension
36. Mohammed Suleiman Washaheh, Bethlehem, 4 months, extension
37. Hussein Amin Hammadi, Jenin, 4 months, extension
38. Mohammed Mahmoud Sahwil, Ramallah, 4 months, extension
39. Mohammed Yousef Ghazawneh, al-Ram, 6 months, new order
40. Anas Saad Awad, Nablus, 6 months, new order
41. Ibrahim Abdullah Arouj, Bethlehem, 3 months, extension