RAMALLAH, June 30, 2015 (WAFA) – A Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails has entered an open-ended hunger strike over his administrative detention in Israeli jails without charge or trial, according to the Committee of Prisoners’ Affairs (CPA) and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Club (PPC).

The two organizations reported on prisoner Nour Elayyan from al-Jalazoun refugee camp near Ramallah who began a hunger strike to protest the renewal of his administrative detention. Elayyan was arrested six months ago and recently received a detention renewal order.

This announcement comes only a day after Khader Adnan, the first prisoner to launch an open-ended hunger strike that lasted 66 days, reached a deal with Israel to be released on July 12 and not be detained again.

Adnan protested his illegal detention for 55 days before Israel agreed to release him and not detain him again without charge or trial. Similar hunger strikes are now used as a tool to pressure Israel into granting Palestinian prisoners their rights guaranteed by international law.

According to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, “Israel's use of administrative detention blatantly violates the restrictions of international law. Israel carries it out in a highly classified manner that denies detainees the possibility of mounting a proper defense. Moreover, the detention has no upper time limit.”

Under administrative detention, Israel holds prisoners in jail without charge or trial and for renewable periods of time. This form of detention is often used when there is no clear evidence that a prisoner has committed an act that is punishable under Israeli laws.

The use of administrative detention dates from the “emergency laws” of the British colonial era in Palestine, but is now used by Israel as a routine form of collective punishment of Palestinians.  

“Over the years, Israel has placed thousands of Palestinians in administrative detention for prolonged periods of time, without trying them, without informing them of the charges against them, and without allowing them or their counsel to examine the evidence,” B’Tselem reports.

M.N/M.H