| Back to... |
Share Our Stories! - Click Here |
 |
Israeli Police State Administrative Detentions |
| By
Stephen Lendman |
| Israel is a serial human and civil rights violator, contemptuous of rule
of law principles, Palestinians terrorized by its oppression. International law prohibits imprisoning individuals uncharged and untried other than short-term in times of emergency conditions threatening national security. Article 9 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states the following: 1. “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention.” “No one shall be deprived of his (or her) liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedures as are established by law. 2. Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him. 4. Anyone who is deprived of his (or her) liberty by arrest or detention shall be entitled to take proceedings before a court, in order that that court may decide without delay on the lawfulness of his detention and order his release if the detention is not lawful.” Arbitrary detentions flagrantly violate Fourth Geneva Articles 72 and 78, affording accused individuals the right to defend themselves. Article 66 fair trial basic standards are violated. Israel denies Palestinians these and most other fundamental rights - the way all police states operate. Administrative detentions should never substitute for customary criminal proceedings, never to transfer protected persons to the territory of the occupying power. Hundreds of Palestinians at all times are grievously abused this way - sometimes for years in defiance of international laws, norms and standards. Most others are imprisoned on bogus charges. Young children aren’t exempt from Israeli harshness. Nor are courageous human rights activists/civil society leaders like Khalida Jarrar. A PLO Legislative Council member since 2006, she’s been targeted oppressively by Israeli before for championing fundamental Palestinian rights - last year released from over a year of political imprisonment. On July 2, she was again arrested pre-dawn at home - on July 12, administratively sentenced to detention for six months, uncharged, untried and unjustifiably. She can be held indefinitely if this is Israel’s intention. Its regime wrongfully detains Palestinians for fabricated reasons, claiming “reasonable grounds (exist) to presume that the security of the area or public security requires detention” - despite no evidence proving it. In response to Israel’s lawless arrest and detention of Jarrar and Palestinian Women’s Committee chairwoman Khitam al-Saafin on the same day, PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi expressed outrage, saying: “We protest the arrest of Palestinian lawmakers and women activists, as well as the ongoing detention of Palestinian political and civil society leaders.” “Clearly these political arrests show that the judicial system in Israel has no relation to justice.” Thousands of Palestinian political prisoners, over 500 uncharged and untried, attest to appalling Israeli apartheid barbarity. VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |