“Palestinian Prisoners Are Hostages”: Rights Advocate Condemns Israeli Detention System
Bisan Center director reveals 20% of Palestinians have been detained, describing systematic abuse and denial of legal rights.
A leading Palestinian rights advocate has declared that Palestinian prisoners held by Israel should be considered “hostages” rather than legal detainees, citing systematic denial of due process and widespread abuse.
Ubai Al-Aboudi, executive director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, explained that Palestinians receive no fair trials or legal rights in Israeli detention. “Many are convicted by secret evidence,” he told Al Jazeera.
Shockingly, approximately 20% of all Palestinians have been arrested or detained by Israel over the decades. Conditions have dramatically worsened since the Gaza war began in October 2023, with released prisoners reporting severe beatings, rape, and sexual assault.
“This entire system dehumanises Palestinians,” Al-Aboudi stated from Ramallah. “Most are held without any due process, without being charged, based solely on military orders by a foreign military occupation.”
Source: Al Jazeera interview with Ubai Al-Aboudi, Bisan Center for Research and Development.