This Israeli Zionist colonial project continues to use the systematic policy of administrative detention, which is a violation of conditions and terms elaborated by international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Recently, the Israeli occupation forces intensified the use of this policy as there are currently hundreds of Palestinians under administrative detention. This intensification happens regularly, not once or twice a year, but every few months. Palestinians have spent up to 14 years under administrative detention without charge or trial. Administrative detention is used as a weapon against Palestinians; it is one method of collective punishment against our people.

International law puts strict conditions and rules on the use of administrative detention. The colonial occupation claims that it’s situation has met the emergency status and extreme conditions, which allow administrative detention, consistently for the past 50 years. The Israeli occupation authority does not only manipulate the language and implementation of international law, but it also claims administrative detention procedures are in keeping with international law. This is a lie. In reality, the Israeli military court and laws are in complete harmony with the occupation’s policies against our people and represent a complete disregard for international norms. To this end, Israeli military courts when it comes to administrative detention adopts 99.9 percent of the suggestions coming from the Israeli intelligence department.

Accordingly, as a continuation of our hunger strikes and our struggle against administrative detention, we, administrative detainees in Israeli jails, are announcing the beginning of a boycott campaign against military courts. We will begin an open boycott to all administrative detention courts because we believe that the core of resisting this policy comes from boycotting this Israeli legal system.

As we go ahead with this collective step, we put our faith and trust in our people, their power and institutions, and in the civil society which will not leave us alone in this fight. We also call on all human rights organizations, the lawyers union, the Palestinian Prisoner Club, and the Commission of Detainees and ex-Detainees to help us in this step and boycott all administrative detention courts with us. This is a national patriotic act that should not be violated by any individual or institution, so we call on the Palestinian Authority to make a submission to international criminal court on the issue of administrative detention as soon as possible. Finally, we call on forming media, legal and public committees to support us in this campaign.

Glory is for our martyrs and may we and our people get freedom

Administrative Detainees in the occupation prisons