Video| Commenting on Israel’s detention of Maher Al Akhras without charges, Pompeo says “Israel has the right to defend itself”
Washington (QNN)- The United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, on Wednesday commented on the unlawful administrative detention of Maher Al Akhras saying that “Israel has the right to defend itself.”
During a press conference, Pompeo was asked about Maher Al Akhras, a father, who has been detained by the occupation state without charges or trial and he has been on a hunger strike for 89 days so far.
“I don’t want to comment on a particular case”, Pompeo answered. “I’d like to say we’ve had long conversations about this set of issues. This is not new, this set of concerns. We have consistently made it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself and make the appropriate decisions it needs to make for its own security”, he added.
“And we will continue to defend that.”
Yesterday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that it is seriously concerned about the deteriorating health of Al Akhras.
The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem defines administrative detention as the incarceration without trial or charge, alleging that a person plans to commit a future offense. It has no time limit, and the evidence on which it is based is not disclosed.
The occupation state employs this measure extensively and routinely, and has used it to hold thousands of Palestinians for lengthy periods of time. While detention orders are formally reviewed, this is merely a semblance of judicial oversight, as detainees cannot reasonably mount a defense against undisclosed allegations.
Until August 2020, the occupation state has been holding 355 Palestinians, including children, under administrative detention.
