Two Palestinians who have
been on hunger strike for 65 days appeared before Israel's Supreme Court on
Thursday to appeal their detention without charge, their lawyer told AFP.
Bilal Diab and Thaer
Halahla are both staging hunger strikes to protest Israel's use of
administrative detention orders, under which military courts can order
individuals to be held without charge for periods of up to six months, which
can be renewed indefinitely.
Jamil Khatib, who is representing
both men, said his address to the court focused on what he called the
"illegality" of administrative detention.
"The appeal focused on
two sides, the illegality of administrative detention in general, in terms of
why they are being held, and secondly why Thaer and Bilal took this step to
shed light on administrative detention," Khatib said.
He said Halahla addressed
the session, speaking "about his arrest and the violations that were
committed against him and why he decided to go through with his hunger
strike."
"He spoke about his
right to a good life and his right to see his daughter, who was born while he
was in administrative detention," Khatib added.
It was unclear when the court would issue a ruling on the appeal.
It was unclear when the court would issue a ruling on the appeal.
Judge Amnon Rubenstein
"announced that the panel of judges would make a decision after reviewing
the 'secret file,'" prisoner rights group Ad-Dameer said in a statement.
"But after the review
[he] stated that the parties would be informed at a later time, without
specifying when."
Halahla, 34, was arrested
on June 28, 2010 and has been held under administrative detention orders ever
since. Diab has been held since August 17th, 2011 and both men began refusing
food on February 29.
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