The spokesperson for the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Authority, Hasan Abed Rabbo, stated that successive Israeli governments have escalated punitive measures against Palestinian prisoners in a desperate attempt to deter acts of resistance.
For instance, they pass unjust laws aimed at perpetrating various forms of violations against prisoners such as prolonged detention and house demolitions.
Abed Rabbo stated to Alquds News that one of the laws mandates that a prisoner who has killed or wounded Israeli settlers or soldiers is required to pay compensation.
This law was implemented in the second Intifada, but in recent years it witnesses a noticeable intensification.
Israeli authorities imposed a substantial sum of money on Palestinian prisoners through their military and illegal courts. This law made the Palestinian prisoners unable to restore their freedom if they did not pay the compensation.
The Israeli authorities are aware that neither the prisoner nor his family can afford the required amount of money, consequently. they have begun deducting compensation from the Palestinian authority exchange or barter system.
This procedure can reflect the political, economic, and security war that the Israeli authorities launch against the Palestinian authority and people.
Abed Rabbo pointed out that such law is a little example of the racial laws directed against the Palestinian prisoners.
The executive, legislative, and judicial authorities spared no effort in their battle against the Palestinians and their families. For instance, they prevented the prisoners from reducing their sentence after serving two-third of it and they applied force-feeding to hunger-striking prisoners despite the fact that the World Medical Association and red cross have described it as a form of torture.
He also continued his speech by highlighting that the Israeli authorities have tightened the penalties against children who throw stones.
It is possible for the sentence against stone-throwers to reach up to ten years without the need to prove the intent to kill. However, the penalty would escalate to 20 years if the intent to kill was approved. The Israeli government confirmed the law on 11 October 2015. However, the adoption of this law can convict a person of incitement without any charges, so it was considered by social media activists as a crime against the freedom of speech and protest.
Abed Rabbo noted that The Israeli Knesset approved a law stating that the court can prosecute children aged 12 years, but the actual imprisonment sentence starts when they reach the age of 14. This means that the age of 12 is recognized as the appropriate age for bearing criminal responsibility.
Consequently, the Israeli occupation forces have the authority to arrest and interrogate a child. Once convicted, the child is sent to a closed rehabilitation center until he reaches the of age 14. Furthermore, Abed Rabbo mentioned another law regarding physical searches, as well as the exemption of intelligence agencies from documenting the investigation.
Abed Rabbo also stated that the law of executing Palestinian prisoners grants the Israeli Defense Minister the authority to instruct the armed forces commander. According to this law, the military court is obligated to issue a death sentence without requiring unanimous agreement from the panel; a simple majority is sufficient.
Furthermore, no court is permitted to reduce the death sentence once it has been determined. It is important to note that this law exclusively targeted Palestinians.
He added that the proposal for the Terrorism Law presented by the Israeli Minister of Justice was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs in the Israeli government.
The law was issued to facilitate the process conducted by prosecution and security apparatus to convict the resistance fighters, even in cases where witnesses are not available or where the security agencies are unable to bring them.
In addition, he clarified that this law defined terrorism as any act driven by political, religious, national, or ideological motivations. In other words, any activity that goes against Israeli policy is recognized as terrorism.
This article was contributed by: Shahd Ali
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