Palestinian hunger striker Khader Adnan has refused food for more than two months after he was taken from his home in the West Bank in a night-time raid by Israeli forces. He has been detained without any charge or trial in what Israel describes as ‘administrative detention', which is a legacy of British colonial times which Israel uses to full effect as a cover for its illegal and unprincipled detention of Palestinians.
Israel alleges that Adnan is a member of Islamic Jihad, and has locked him up for four months' ‘administrative detention'. Adnan has refused to recognise Israel's right to simply put him away without reference to any law or public trial, and has pursued his hunger strike to protest Israel's actions. He is one of 307 Palestinians who are being held under the same law, including 27 members of the Palestine Legislative Council that was elected in January 2006. They have been refused any reasons for their detention, nor are they going to be tried. Under Israeli occupation, there is going to be no explanation for their illegal and brutal detention.
Adnan has released a letter speaking out against his illegal and arbitrary detention, and condemning the beatings and harassment he is suffering in the Israeli jail. He has said that he is not fasting for himself but to bring the situation of his fellow Palestinians to public notice. The situation of the 300 under ‘administrative detainment' is particularly extreme, but between 12,000 and 16,000 Palestinians are being held in Israeli jails for political acts.
These prisoners do not have a voice, but they are a major part of the suffering of the Palestinians. They deserve better, and the international community should make a point of putting pressure on Israel to release the political prisoners and stop this gross denial of Palestinians' rights.
