By Staff Some 500 Palestinian prisoners in administrative detention have been boycotting the ‘Israeli’ military court system since the start of this year to protest their detention without trial or charge for indefinite periods based on alleged ‘secret evidence.’ Their boycott has reached its 57th consecutive day.

According to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Club, the sick administrative detainees in “Majdo” Prison have been boycotting medications for 11 days so far, and in “Ofer” Prison for three consecutive days.

The detainees have previously announced this measure on February 13 as part of a framework that will be applied in all ‘Israeli’ occupation prisons.

The Palestinian Detention movement, meanwhile, voiced full support for the decision taken by the administrative detainees for inclusive boycott of Zionist military courts, calling on all administrative detainees in other prisons to take the same step, and to remain patient until achieving the desired goal of cancelling the so-called ‘administrative detention’ policy.

The collective decision was taken following a series of long, individual hunger strikes by administrative detainees in October – with several prisoners on the verge of death – before they were able to pressure authorities to release them.

As part of their protest, the administrative detainees are refusing to show up for hearings at all levels – including those to uphold their detention orders, as well as appeal hearings and later sessions at the Supreme Court.

Prisoners and rights groups said they hope to lessen the use of the policy through the court boycott, but that Zionist authorities have not responded positively yet