The head of the PPS, Abdullah al-Zaghari, confirmed that Nasser al-Lahham, Al Mayadeen’s bureau chief in the occupied Palestinian territories, was being subjected to interrogation proceedings before the Israeli military court at Ofer prison, following his arrest from his residence in Beit Lahm several days ago.
Speaking to Al Mayadeen, al-Zaghari stated that al-Lahham appeared in court earlier in the day, amid indications that the Israeli authorities plan to extend his detention under the pretext of “continuing the investigation.”
He added that several legal outcomes remain under consideration: al-Lahham may be released, his detention may be further extended pending investigation, or he could be placed under administrative detention.
Administrative detention permits «Israel» to hold Palestinians without formal charges for up to six months at a time, with the option for indefinite renewals. This practice enables military prosecutors to withhold evidence from suspects while arguing that the individual poses a significant threat despite insufficient evidence for an indictment.
Israeli authorities have significantly escalated their use of administrative detention against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. This increase in arbitrary detentions, along with extended emergency measures that enable inhumane treatment of Palestinians, has been accompanied by a lack of investigation into incidents of torture and deaths in Israeli detention recently.
Released detainees, human rights lawyers, and video evidence have provided accounts of the severe torture and mistreatment prisoners have endured, including violent beatings, sexual abuse, forced humiliation, and cruel treatment such as being forced to kneel during inmate counts or sing Israeli songs.
Administrative detention is one of the key tools through which «Israel» has enforced its system of apartheid against Palestinians. Testimonies and video evidence also point to numerous incidents of torture and other ill-treatment by Israeli forces including severe beatings and deliberate humiliation of Palestinians who are detained in dire conditions.
