Extension of Administrative Detention for 5 Young Men from Iksal for an Additional Six Months

SadaNews - The Central Court in Haifa has extended the administrative detention orders against five young men from the town of Iksal for an additional six months, following the conclusion of the initial period imposed on them earlier this year. They are expected to be released on December 28, unless their detention is renewed again.

 

The young men were arrested about seven months ago and underwent what has been described as harsh interrogations in the basements of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), without any confessions being extracted from them, before being transferred to administrative detention. Their ages range between 18 and 25 years old, and they are a group of friends.

Attorney Omar Khmeisi stated, "The court agreed to extend the administrative detention for an additional 6 months without formally charging the young men, which means they will spend a full year behind bars under this arbitrary procedure."

He added, "We live in a different reality after the war, especially regarding the handling of security files for youth from within the Palestinian territories, as even a single post on social media has become a reason to open an investigation, and in the absence of evidence, administrative detention orders are issued directly by the Minister of Security."

Khmeisi pointed out that "the courts and the public prosecution now treat recommendations from the Security Agency as an established fact, without real scrutiny, which has led to an increase in the number of administrative detainees among Palestinian citizens, while Jews who openly incite violence against Arabs go unpunished."

Regarding the renewal of detention orders, he clarified that "what was once rare has become common today, as administrative detention orders are renewed automatically without giving the defense a chance to challenge them or present substantive arguments."

On the public and political stance, Khmeisi expressed his regret over the lack of interaction, saying: "We do not witness any popular or political movement from Arab Knesset members, parties, or the Follow-Up Committee, leaving families alone in courthouse halls."

He concluded by stating that "administrative detainees are living in harsh conditions within prisons, and they need a serious collective stance to stop this ongoing arbitrary course."