Khader Adnan, Palestinian political prisoner held without charge or trial under administrative detention, launched a one-week hunger strike on 6 January 2015, scheduled to continue until 13 January 2015, demanding his release from detention and an end to the Israeli policy of imprisoning hundreds of Palestinians without charge or trial.

Adnan said that this strike is meant as a strong message to the Israeli prison administration to end the use of administrative detention, and that he may enter an open-ended hunger strike if there is no action to end the arbitrary imprisonment of Palestinians.

Adnan was previously released from administrative detention in 2012 following a 66-day hunger strike that garnered major international attention, solidarity and support, and highlighted the situation of Palestinians held in administrative detention – imprisoned without charge, without trial, and without any access to the secret evidence beting used against them.

The strike was reported when Adnan’s family received a message for them from other Palestinian political prisoners held in Hadarim prison with Adnan. Adnan has been placed in solitary confinement and is being denied lawyers’ visits in retaliation for his hunger strike.

On 8 July 2014, Adnan was arrested in the mass arrest raids carried out by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, who arrested nearly 2000 Palestinians in July. He was ordered to administrative detention, and was never charged or tried. This arbitrary administrative detention was renewed on 5 January.

Adnan, the father of five children, is a baker from Arraba near Jenin. He has been imprisoned 10 times, mostly held without charge or trial in administrative detention.

The Ofer Israeli Military court renewed the administrative detention – imprisonment without charge or trial – of well-known Palestinian activist and former hunger striker Khader Adnan, 37, on Monday, 5 January 2015, for six additional months.

Adnan was arrested most recently on 8 July 2014 as part of the mass arrest raids conducted by Israeli occupation forces, especially targeting former prisoners, during that time, and has been held without charge or trial since that time.

Adnan has been arrested 10 times and has been held repeatedly in administrative detention without charge or trial. His 66-day hunger strike in 2011-2012 following his arrest and imprisonment without charge or trial on 17 December 2011, secured his release from administrative detention on 17 April 2012. The strike garnered massive international attention, solidarity strikes and actions around the world and a poster of Adnan’s face by Palestinian artist Hafez Omar was widely plastered around the West Bank and Gaza.

He owns a bakery in Arraba, near Jenin, and is married to Randa and the father of five.

In addition, at least 32 other Palestinians have had their imprisonment without charge or trial renewed, or new administrative detention sentences imposed by military courts, since the beginning of the year.

Dr. Ghassan Thuqan, university lecturer in the Faculty of Education at An-Najah University, was issued another administrative detention renewal on 6 January, reported Riyad al-Ashqar of the Palestine Prisoners Center for Studies. This is the third three-month renewal of his detention without charge or trial after his arrest on 9 July 2014.

On Tuesday, 6 January, Ofer military court issued administrative detention orders against 13 Palestinians:

1. Murad Quteishat – 4 months
2. Tariq Hammad – 4 months
3. Thaib Njajra – 4 months
4. Ibrahim Kleiba – 4 months
5. Mohammad Aslan – 4 months
6. Amir Yaish – 4 months
7. Nader Taqatqa – 4 months
8. Abdallah al-Amleh – 6 months
9. Mohammed Amro – 6 months
10. Yousef Amarneh – 6 months
11. Abdel Rahman al-Atek – 6 months
12. Nimer Damaj – 3 months
13. Abdel Rahman Hindiyeh – 3 months.

On Sunday, 4 January, 18 more Palestinians were sentenced to administrative detention – 16 renewals of previous orders and 2 new orders:

The prisoners are:
1. Hamza Mohammed Zableh – Hebron – 2 Months
2. Mazen Jamal Natshe – Hebron – 4 months
3. Farooq Issa Ashour – Hebron – 2 Months
4. Wajdi Izhaq Atayeh – Ramallah – 6 months
5. Khalil Mohammed Abed – Ramallah – 6 months
6. Ashraf Shaker Juneidi – Hebron – 6 months
7. Nael Ismail Ataya – Ramallah – 6 months
8. Nader Mahmoud Jaffal – Abu Dis – 4 months
9. Tariq Anwar Odeis – Hebron – 3 months
10. Ihab Mohamed Quazbeh – Hebron – 2 Months
11. Nabih Abdul Aziz Awad – Nablus – 4 months
12. Mohamed Hassan Adi – Hebron – 4 months
13. Fadi Jihad Amer – Hebron – 2 1/2 months
14. Ahmed Salama Abu Ras – Hebron – 6 months
15. Hossam Hatem Abu Libdeh – Qalqilya – 3 months
16. Sayel Mohammed Abu Amir – Hebron – 2 months
17. Baker Said Bilal – Nablus – 6 months
18. Hassan Issa Shehadeh – Jerusalem – 4 months

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.

Lina Khattab, 18, Palestinian first-year media student at Bir Zeit University and folkloric cultural dancer with the El-Funoun Popular Palestinian Dance Troupe, had her hearing postponed once again by the Ofer Israeli military court on Monday, 5 January until next Monday, 12 January. This follows similar postponements on 22 December and 29 December 2014. Khattab, an active student on the Bir Zeit campus, is charged with “throwing stones” and “participating in an unlawful demonstration,” charges frequently leveled at Palestinians participating in demonstrations or popular protests challenging the military occupation of their land.

Click here to take action and demand Lina’s freedom.