Dr. Yousef Abdul Haqq
RAMALA – The Israel military court has extended the administrative detention of civil rights lawyer Dr. Yousef Abdul Haq, a lecturer at Tanweer Palestinian Cultural Enlightenment Forum and the Cultural Coordinator for the Tanweer Palestinian Cultural Enlightenment Forum. Dr. Yousef Abdul Haq has already spent three months in prison.
Dr. Haqq had been arrested on 7/11/2011 in his home at two o’clock in the morning. He had been suffering from illness constantly requiring medicine, forcing his transfer to a hospital immediately after his arrest at Ramala. He was immediately sentenced to two months in administrative detention.
This arbitrary administrative detention is legally incompatible with the most basic international standards of human rights, because it is without any specific charge against the prisoner. It depends on evidence concealed in a military file and other ’secret’ evidence that cannot be seen by the detainee or defense lawyers. The military file is prepared by the Israel Intelligence Service, which often collects intelligence information illegally.
This type of detention is internationally banned not only for the specific category of the Palestinian people. It can be extended to include lawmakers in the Palestinian Legislative Council; members of local councils; university students, political activists; academics; trade unionists ;and even women and children.
The imposition of administrative detention by Article 111 of the military state of emergency imposed by the British colonial authorities of Palestine in September of the year 1945 is illegal on the grounds that Article 43 of the Hague International Agreement of 1907 prohibits an occupying power to change the legislative reality of the country occupied.
Administrative detention results in endless suffering by the prisoners because they may be detained for many years arbitrarily. This plays on the nerves and psychology of the detainee and their family based on the expectation that the next decision will be an extension of detention.
The International Solidarity Foundation for Human Rights received from the Israel Court of Ofer that the number of additional administrative detentions issued by the Israel military governor reached a total of 5971 since the beginning of the year 2004 until the end of 2010.
- We in the Tanweer Enlightenment Forum, call for the release of our colleague Dr. Yousef immediately from behind bars, and we hold the Government responsible for the conditions of Israel’s occupation, in respect to his health.
- We demand the end of the administrative detentions which are contrary to international law, and contravenes the human and ethical values of civilization.
- On this occasion, we declare our solidarity with the prisoner hero Khader Adnan, who is continuing his hunger strike battle in his 55th day to end the administrative detentions.
- We also call on international institutions and the Arab and local media to expose the policy of administrative detention. We uphold the work of a united front for the release of Palestinian militants including lawyers, members of the Legislative Council, academics, students, children and women.
- We call for the end of administrative detentions forever.
- Freedom for political prisoners.
- Close the detention camps and prisons and abolish administrative detention.
Wael S.a. Faqeeh
Tanweer Palestian Enlightenment Administration
