Held for 5 years without trial
Palestine, Politics, 9/29/1997

In less than two weeks, Ahmad Qatamesh completes five years of administrative detention in Israeli jails and his family members are not sure if he will be released. Qatamesh has become the oldest administrative detainee held in Israel, after "achieving" the five-year record of being held in jail without trial. Israel first said he was a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine but has failed to present any indictment sheet and instead decided to hold him without trial based on the 1945 British Mandatory Emergency Regulations.

Since his arrest in September 1992, Qatamesh has had his administrative detention renewed automatically every six months. The Supreme Court in Israel on December 13th, 1992 ordered his release, but the decision was bypassed by the Israeli special technique in cases like these. Administrative detention is used by Israel whenever no legal grounds are available to continue the arrest of someone but whose release is highly unwanted by the Israeli security.

According to Palestinian estimates, there are around 300 Palestinian administrative detainees who are all held without trial. But Ad-Damir (Arabic for conscience) Organization in the West Bank said that in light of the latest manhunt over the past two months, the number of administrative detainees had increased up to 800 Palestinians.

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