Ideas Imprisoned: Administrative Detention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Conditions of Imprisonment, and the Role of the International Community

Abstract

On the eve of the Second Intifada (September 2000), the Government of Israel held twelve (12) Palestinians in administrative detention. Over the next few months and years, this number skyrocketed to exceed 1,100 Palestinians held without anything resembling a fair trial. Since the Second Intifada, the Government of Israel held no less than 100 Palestinians in administrative detention at any given point. These prisoners were never informed of the charges against them nor allowed to view the evidence used by the government to justify their detention. The Israeli Government claims that national security is the justification for their detention and that the evidence is classified. Given the vast variance in numbers of administrative detainees at any given point in time, allegations from human rights activists arise that the Government of Israel uses administrative detention to circumvent the criminal justice process, violating human rights by silencing unfavorable speech and limiting freedom of association.