Palestinian Kayed Fasfous is carrying out a hunger strike against his administrative detention without charge or trial by the Israeli occupation authorities. Photo: al-Hadf News
Since the beginning of 2023, the Zionist occupation authorities have issued 2,646 administrative arrest warrants. At the end of September 2023, there were a total of 1,319 detainees in administrative detention, including 20 children and four female prisoners.
The Palestine Center for Prisoner Studies revealed that this is the highest number of detainees since 2003. They pointed out that more than 80% of administrative detainees are former detainees who have been subjected to administrative detention many times. Among them are the sick, elderly, and children.
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Administrative detainees are primarily held in three prisons: Ofer, Negev, and Megiddo. The highest number of administrative detention orders issued this year was 370 in July 2023.
Administrative detention is arbitrary detention without charge or trial, and detainees and their lawyers are not allowed to access the evidence against them. This practice flagrantly violates the provisions of international humanitarian law. Israel is the only entity in the world that employs such a policy.
The occupation authorities and prison administrations claim that administrative detainees have so-called secret files that cannot be disclosed at all. As a result, detainees do not know the duration of their imprisonment or the charges against them. Administrative detention orders are frequently renewed for periods of three, six, or eight months, and sometimes extended up to a full year.
As part of the Battle of Empty Stomachs, Prisoner Kayed al-Fasfous, aged 34, has been on an open-ended hunger strike for 60 consecutive days in protest against his administrative detention. The Handala Center for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners reported earlier this week that the prison administration moved al-Fasfous from the Askalan prison cells to the Ramle prison clinic due to his life-threatening health condition.
The Handala Center further noted that the decision to transfer al-Fasfous to the Ramle prison clinic after his hunger strike had surpassed 59 days, instead of transferring him to a civilian hospital, is indicative of the occupation’s ongoing systematic revenge against him. Fasfous was re-arrested in May of this year. He had previously spent over 7 years in occupation prisons and in 2021, he successfully protested administration detention and was released after a 131 day hunger strike. On October 2nd, an occupation military court is scheduled to hear another appeal by al-Fasfous against his arbitrary imprisonment.
Since the beginning of 2023, individual hunger strikes have increased, specifically protesting the crime of administrative detention. The occupation continues to intensify the use of this practice, aiming to undermine the Palestinian national struggle. More than 5,200 Palestinians are currently held in the occupation’s prisons.
(Al-Hadf News) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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