Amnesty International has called on the Israeli authorities to release human rights defender Salah Hammouri “immediately” and to release all administrative detainees.
In response to reports that the Israeli authorities have extended Hammouri's administrative detention for another 3 months, Heba Morayef, a senior official with the organization, said that since March, Israel has been arbitrarily detaining Hammouri without charge or trial in an apparent attempt to stop his human rights work.
Morayef added that it was "outrageous" that he would now spend another 3 months in detention.
She stressed that "the Israeli authorities must release him immediately, and all administrative detainees must be released immediately unless they are promptly charged with an internationally recognized criminal offense and are tried through procedures that adhere to international fair trial standards."
She added that instead of returning Hammouri to his family today, he faces another 3 months in prison.
His detention could even be extended further, and used against him to precipitate his forcible deportation from Jerusalem.
Amnesty calls on the Israeli authorities to "ensure that he is allowed to maintain his residency status in Jerusalem, and to continue his human rights work without fear of reprisals."
Hammouri is a French-Palestinian lawyer, human rights defender, and researcher for the Palestinian NGO Addameer.
He has been detained by the Israeli authorities since 7 March, when he was taken from his home in the Kafr Aqab neighborhood of the occupied Holy City.
Since September 2020, the occupying authorities have taken steps to revoke Hammouri's permanent residency for "breach of loyalty" to the State of Israel, which puts him at risk of deportation.
According to Addameer Prisoner Care and Human Rights Association, 600 Palestinians are currently in administrative detention.
Under administrative detention, Israel detains Palestinians without intending to try them in a criminal trial.
Detention orders can be renewed indefinitely, and evidence kept confidential, which means detainees are unable to effectively challenge their detention, and do not know when they will be released.
Earlier, Amnesty International explained that Israel's use of administrative detention constitutes an inhumane act committed to perpetuate the apartheid regime against Palestinians, and is a crime against humanity.