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Detained Palestinians boycott Israeli courts

Many of the 500 Palestinians being held without charge in Israel are rejecting their "day in court," which they claim is only used as a platform for Israeli propaganda.

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Palestinians hold portraits of relatives held in Israeli prisons as they demand their release during a demonstration to mark Prisoners' Day in Nablus, West Bank, April 17, 2018. — JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP/Getty Images

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The annual Palestinian Prisoners’ Day observed April 17 focused on a boycott of Israeli courts by Palestinians whose lives are on hold while they are jailed indefinitely under administrative detention orders.

The boycott began on Feb. 13 when 500 administrative detainees announced an indefinite boycott of the Israeli justice system, including the courts of first instance, the court of appeals and the Supreme Court. Administrative detainees are prisoners arrested and held without charge, based on confidential information that neither prisoners nor their lawyers have the right to examine. Often, the administrative detention order is renewed several times. The Israeli Prison Service has threatened to force the detainees to appear in court.

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