This report documents Amnesty International’s concerns about the use of administrative detention in Israel and the Occupied Territories. Administrative detention is a procedure under which detainees are held without charge or trial. At the beginning of 1997 at least 270 detainees were being held under administrative detention orders. This report provides case histories of the following prisoners of conscience or possible prisoners of conscience: Wissam Rafeedie, Imad Sabi, Ahmad Qatamesh, ‘Usama Jamil Isma’il Barham and Noam Federman. The report also contains statements from many other adminstrative detainees. Amnesty International is calling for all administrative detainees held on account of their non-violent political opinions or activities to be released immediately, and that the others be released unless they are to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence and promptly tried in a proper court of law in accordance with international standards for fair trial.
