Palestinian Prisoners Day

On April 17th, Palestinians mark Prisoners Day in honor the thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli detention centers. Palestinian prisoners from the Occupied Territories, many of whom are under the age of 18, are tried under military courts and sentenced by military judges, some of whom are settlers. Defendants are often convicted on secret evidence and serve disproportionately long sentences. In addition, the Army is allowed to arbitrarily arrest and detain Palestinian civilians for periods of six months. After this six month period has passed, the sentence can be extended without explanation. These types of loose guidelines allow for the Israeli army to exercise broad and unchecked powers against the Palestinian population.