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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 5 april 2023

Israel holding over 1,000 without charge, most since 2003

By ISABEL DEBRE ting easier and easier for
Associated Press them to hold people with
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is no charge or trial.”
holding over 1,000 Pales- A widespread military
tinian detainees without crackdown on Palestinian
charge or trial, the high- militants in the occupied
est number since 2003, an West Bank has helped fuel
Israeli human rights group the sharp rise in administra-
said Tuesday. tive detentions.
Israel says the controversial Israel’s campaign of raids
tactic, known as adminis- into Palestinian cities and
trative detention, helps au- towns following a string of
thorities thwart attacks and deadly Palestinian attacks
hold dangerous militants last year led to the arrest of
without divulging incrimi- over 2,400 Palestinians since
nating material for security March 2022, according to
reasons. Palestinians and the Israeli military. Israel’s
rights groups say the sys- Shin Bet security service did
tem is widely abused and not immediately respond
denies due process, with to requests for comment
the secret nature of the on the latest administrative
evidence making it impos- detention figures.
sible for administrative de- Israel describes the
tainees or their lawyers to Palestinians wave flags during a rally marking the 47th anniversary of Land Day, along the border ramped-up raids as a
mount a defense. fence with Israel, east of Gaza City, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Associated Press counterterrorism effort to
HaMoked, an Israeli rights prevent further attacks.
group that regularly gath- said 48-year-old Manal rights group, the Palestinian currently being tried. Palestinian residents and
ers figures from prison au- Abu Bakr in Dheisheh, a ref- Prisoners’ Club. Among the 76 Palestinians critics say the operation
thorities, said that as of ugee camp near the West The hearing on the renewal incarcerated in the last only further stokes the cycle
April, there were 1,016 de- Bank city of Bethlehem. Her of his detention is set for month, 49 are administra- of bloodshed, as the incur-
tainees held in administra- 28-year-old son Moham- September. “I’m exhaust- tive detainees. Administra- sions ignite violent protests
tive detention. Nearly all of med lost his four college ed,” Manal said. “It’s hard tive detention orders can and firefights with Palestin-
them are Palestinians de- years to administrative de- even to hope.” be issued for a maximum of ian militants.
tained under military law, tention. Her husband, Ni- HaMoked says 2,416 Pales- six months, but can be re- Nearly 90 Palestinians in the
as administrative detention dal, a journalist and radio tinians are serving sentenc- newed indefinitely. West Bank have been killed
is very rarely used against presenter, remains in cus- es after being convicted in “The numbers are shock- by Israeli fire this year, ac-
Jews. Four Israeli Jews are tody. He has spent 17 years Israeli military courts. An ad- ing,” said Jessica Montell, cording to an Associated
currently being held with- behind bars in the past ditional 1,409 detainees are the director of HaMoked. Press tally. Palestinian at-
out charge. three decades, more than being held for questioning, “There are no restraints on tacks against Israelis have
“There is no sense of when half of it without charge, have been charged and the use of what should be a killed 15 people in the same
the nightmare will end,” according to a prisoner’s are awaiting trial, or are rare exception. It’s just get- period. q

Jacinda Ardern to begin new role combating online extremism

By NICK PERRY Christchurch Call with 51 people at two mosques book before the video was government and Jacinda
Associated Press French President Emman- in the New Zealand city of taken down. Ardern is uniquely placed
WELLINGTON, New Zealand uel Macron in 2019, two Christchurch. The gunman Christchurch Call’s goal is to keep pushing forward
(AP) — Jacinda Ardern, months after a white su- livestreamed the slaughter to eliminate terrorist and with the goal of eliminating
who stepped down as New premacist gunman killed for 17 minutes on Face- violent extremist content violent extremist content
Zealand’s prime minister in online. online,” Hipkins said.
January, will begin an un- More than 50 countries He said Ardern would re-
paid role this month com- have since signed up to the port directly to him.
bating online extremism. Christchurch Call, including Although she stepped
New Zealand Prime Minister the United States, Britain, down as prime minister in
Chris Hipkins, who took over Germany and South Korea. January, Ardern remained
as leader from Ardern, an- Tech companies to sign up a lawmaker until April to
nounced Tuesday he’d ap- include Facebook parent avoid triggering a special
pointed Ardern as Special company Meta, Amazon, election ahead of the na-
Envoy for the Christchurch Google, Microsoft, You- tion’s general elections in
Call. Hipkins said Ardern Tube, Zoom and Twitter. October. She is due to de-
would begin the part-time The group says it has had liver her final valedictory
role this month, right after success developing new speech to Parliament on
she leaves Parliament and online safety systems and Wednesday.
that she’d declined to ac- is studying the implications Ardern also announced
cept any pay. of fast-rising technologies she was joining the board
He said the role would be New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a such as artificial intelli- of trustees for The Earthshot
reviewed at the end of the joint press conference with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony gence. Prize, an environmental
year. Albanese in Sydney, Australia, July 8, 2022. “The Christchurch Call is a charity started by Britain’s
Ardern launched the Associated Press foreign policy priority for the Prince William in 2020. q