News - Human Rights Watch criticized Israel's military justice system

Celebrations were held in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on Friday in honor of the first group of 39 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel. The group of 24 women and 15 teenage boys were released and returned to their families through the Beituniya checkpoint in the West Bank. They are accused of a range of offenses, from stone-throwing to attempted murder. Some were convicted, while others were awaiting trial. Human Rights Watch international program director Sari Bashi told BBC television that many Palestinian prisoners are being held without charge under a system known as administrative detention. "They are detained on the basis of secret evidence that the Israeli authorities say they have that suggests they are dangerous. Human Rights Watch is particularly concerned about the widespread use of administrative detention...For others who have been charged or convicted of crimes, we have serious concerns about Israel's military justice system, which is applied in the West Bank to Palestinians but not to Israelis," she said.