Stop Administrative Detention: the case of Basim Za'rir

posted on Sumoud on 23 July 2009

PLC Member Basim Za’rir was arrested on 1 January 2009, when Israeli occupation forces arrived at his home just after 2:00am. After beating Basim’s eldest son, searching the house, and ordering and interrogating all the men above the age of 16 living in the house nearby, they arrested Mr Za’rir. He was taken to Etzion detention centre where he remained for a week before being transferred to Ofer. He was then placed under an administrative detention order and kept in detention for approximately two months before being transferred again to Ketziot prison in the Negev where he still remains. The administrative detention order against Mr. Za’rir was for a six month period, lasting from his arrest on 1 January 2009 until 2 July 2009. His attorney filed an appeal on Mr. Za’rir’s behalf, challenging this order less than a month after the judicial review took place, but the appeal was denied. On 2 July, instead of being released, Mr. Za’rir was informed that his administrative detention order would be extended for another six months. The judge at the judicial review for the second order confirmed the additional six month period, setting the current order’s expiration date for 1 January 2010.

Prior to his current administrative detention, Mr. Za’rir had been arrested four times and never sentenced once. In 1993, he was arrested and detained for one month of interrogation before being released without charge. Four years later, in 1997, two months of interrogation again proved nothing, and he was subsequently released without charge for a second time. In 2005, Mr. Za’rir was arrested and detained for one month, yet again without charge. However, in 2006, Mr. Za’rir was elected to the Legislative Council, and was arrested six months later on charges of belonging to the Change and Reform Bloc. After spending two years in detention awaiting trial on these charges, Mr. Za’rir was tried before the military courts, was acquitted of all charges and finally released on 23 June 2008. A mere six months later, he was arrested once more and placed under administrative detention without charge or trial. Mr. Za’rir’s case is a prime example of Israel’s arbitrary use of administrative detention as a substitute for prosecution in cases of unavailable or insufficient evidence.



Click here to read Basim Za’rir’s profile and see how you can help.