CURRENT
INFORMATION
ABOUT DETENTIONS
AT BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY
Statistics from 2 May 1998.

DETENTIONS - INTERROGATION - ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION
STATISTICS FROM OTHER MONTHS

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ISRAEL:
• No. students in Israeli prisons -- 28
• New detentions by Israel in April 1998 -- 2
• No. of student prisoners released by Israel in April-- 6
• Length of average detention -- 44 months
• No. of prisoners detained for longer than six months -- 23
• No. of prisoners detained for less than two months -- 2
• Total no. of political prisoners held by Israel -- 2,750

PNA:
• No. students in Palestinian prisons -- 5
• New detentions by PNA in April 1998 -- 8
• No. of student prisoners released by PNA in April -- 7
• Length of average detention -- 7.5 months
• No. of prisoners detained for longer than six months -- 3
• Total no. of political prisoners held by PNA -- 870 (estimate)

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ISRAEL
• No. students interogated during April-- 3
• Average length of interrogation -- 21 days
• Methods of interrogation reported --
  1. position abuse (shackeled to a kindergarten chair, squatting)
  2. hooding with filthy sack
  3. sleep deprivation for periods lasting more that 24 hours
  4. threats against self and family
  5. solitary confinement for protracted periods

MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT ISRAELI INTERROGATION

PNA:
• No. students interogated during April-- 4
• Average length of interrogation -- 15 days
• Methods of interrogation reported --
  1. position abuse (shackeled to a kindergarten chair, squatting, hung by arms from ceiling)
  2. hooding with filthy sack
  3. beatings with sticks and hands
  4. sleep deprivation for periods lasting more that 24 hours
  5. threats against self and family
  6. solitary confinement for protracted periods

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PNA INTERROGATION

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On any given day about 10 Birzeit University students can be found in prison as a result of an order issued by an Israeli military officer. The order does not contain charges or explanations. It does not have to be ruled upon in a court. Israeli military law permits a military commander to imprison a Palestinian for a renewable period of up to 12 months for reasons of protecting public security.

This procedure has been come to be called "administrative" detention (AD), as the detainee is detained by an administrative procedure without court involvement. Such a policy stands in direct violation of internationally accepted standards articulated in Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Palestinian administrative detainee Imad El-Sabe's eloquent letter from prison provides unusual insight into the ironies and injustices of this practice.

• No. students in AD on 2 May 1998 -- 4
• No. students placed in AD in April 1998 -- 0
• No. students issued renewed orders in April 1998 -- 0
• No. students released from AD in April 1998 -- 3
• Student held for longest time in AD -- Majid Ismail Talahmi (15 months)
• No. of students in AD for six months or more -- 3
• Total no. of administrative detainees held by Israel -- 165
  MORE INFORMATION ON ADMINSTRATIVE DETENTION

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BIRZEIT HUMAN RIGHTS ARCHIVE - BZU PRESS RELEASE ARCHIVE - HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY HOMEPAGE - HUMAN RIGHTS WEBSITES IN PALESTINE.
Page prepared by the Human Rights Action Project, Birzeit University (Palestine). Comments to hrap@admin.birzeit.edu.