Human Rights Action Project, Birzeit University

CURRENT
INFORMATION
ABOUT DETENTIONS
AT BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY
Statistics from 31 March 1997.
DETENTIONS - INTERROGATION - ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION
STATISTICS FROM OTHER MONTHS

ISRAEL:

No. students in Israeli prisons -- 45
New detentions by Israel in March 1997 -- 1
No. of student prisoners released by Israel in March -- 3
Length of average detention -- 31 months
No. of prisoners detained for longer than six months -- 30
Total no. of political prisoners held by Israel -- 3,300

PNA:

No. students in Palestinian prisons -- 2
New detentions by PNA in March 1997 -- 0
Length of average detention -- 3 months
No. of prisoners detained for longer than six months -- 0
Total no. of political prisoners held by PNA -- 445

ISRAEL

No. students interogated during March -- 4
Average length of interrogation -- 34 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 were interrogated by the PNA in March.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PNA INTERROGATION

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.

No. students in AD on 31 March 1997 -- 9
No. students placed in AD in March 1997 -- 1
No. students issued renewed orders in March 1997 -- 0
No. students released from AD in March 1997 -- 1
Student held for longest time in AD -- Ali Rabia' (1.5 years)
No. of students in AD for six months or more -- 3
Total no. of administrative detainees held by Israel -- 275
MORE INFORMATION ON ADMINSTRATIVE DETENTION

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Page prepared by the Human Rights Action Project, Birzeit University (Palestine). Comments to hrap@admin.birzeit.edu.
Last update: March 1997.