Days of Palestine – Ramallah

500 Palestinian administrative detainees in Israeli occupation prisons have been boycotting Israeli occupation courts for the 53rd day in a row, in protest against their indefinite detention without charges or trials.

The Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups said that in protest against their administrative detention without charges or trial by the Israeli occupation authorities, 500 Palestinian administrative detainees have been boycotting the Israeli Military Courts since January 1, 2022.

Among the 500 administrative detainees are 3 minors and a female.

The boycott includes the initial hearings to uphold the administrative detention order, as well as appeal hearings and later sessions at the Supreme Court.

Under the banner, “Our decision is freedom … no to administrative detention,” administrative detainees said in a statement their move comes as a continuation of longstanding Palestinian efforts “to put an end to the unjust administrative detention practiced against our people by the occupation forces”.

They also noted that Israel’s use of the policy has expanded in recent years to include women, children and elderly people.

“Israeli military courts are an important aspect for the occupation in its system of oppression,” the detainees said, describing the courts as a “barbaric, racist tool that has consumed hundreds of years from the lives of our people under the banner of administrative detention, through nominal and fictitious courts – the results of which are predetermined by the military commander of the region”.

Since March 2002, the number of Palestinians in administrative detention has never fallen below 100.

According to the Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups, there are now 4,500 Palestinians held in Israeli occupation jails, including 32 women, 180 minors, and 500 administrative detainees held without charge or trial.