[News] Student Prisoners in 'Administrative Detention' on Strike

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Press Release
18 January 2005

Student Prisoners in 'Administrative Detention' on Strike

Over 800 Palestinian administrative detainees, held in Israeli military
detention centers, are on strike against the illegality of
prolonged detentions without charge or trial.

The strike against the Israeli Occupation's military legal system began 1
month ago, on 19 December 2004.  The striking prisoners are refusing to take
part in any military court proceedings, until the Israeli military
authorities meet their demand that prisoners should be either charged or
released after the maximum 6 month period of 'administrative detention'
has expired.

Even according to Israeli law, orders for administrative detention 
-imprisonment without charge or trial - cannot be for more than a maximum 
of 6 months.  In reality, detention orders are repeatedly extended so that 
many prisoners, including student and child prisoners, have been held in 
administrative detention for years.

Khader Raddad, a student of Civil Engineering at Birzeit University, has 
been imprisoned without charge, trial, or access to any information 
relating to his case for over two years.   Khader is being held in Keseot 
(Naqab) military detention center, where 782 out of the total 869 
Palestinian prisoners in administrative detention are currently held:

18 have been held in administrative detention for over two-and-a-half years
100 have been held in administrative detention for over one-and-a-half years
148 have had their administrative detention orders extended more than once
15 are child prisoners (under 18 years old)

There are currently 76 Birzeit University student prisoners, 11 of them are
being held without charge in administrative detention, and two-thirds of
them have not been to trial. The Right to Education Campaign at Birzeit
University condemns the use of administrative detention outright and demands
the release of Khader Raddad and other prisoners who have been arrested and
imprisoned in contravention of international law which explicitly states 
that "no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention".

For more information on student prisoners and Birzeit University's Right to
Education Campaign http://right2edu.birzeit.edu, please contact:

Helen Murray, Campaign Coordinator, Right to Education Campaign
Tel: +972 (0)59777 209, Email: right2edu at birzeit.edu



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