Palestinians before the Military Courts – MachsomWatch Report


June 5, 2009
Richard Kuper

machsomwatch_guiltyOver the years, thousands of Palestinians have been detained and charged with maintaining ties to an organisation, institute, office, movement, branch, centre, committee, faction, group or whatever the law defines as ‘a body of persons’ branded ‘hostile’ or ‘terrorist’ and included in an ever-expanding list of unlawful associations.

Order no 85 of the Defense (Emergency) Regulations 19456 lists 1 offences connected with membership in or aid to an unlawful association and also lists the penalties for these offences. The arbitrary nature of this law imposed on the occupied territories and encompassing almost any situation and any person, is revealed in Section 9 of Regulation 85 (revised 1946, 1947) which determines that: any person… acting on behalf of an unlawful association… by writing, words, signs, or other acts of representation, directly or indirectly, whether by inferences, suggestion or implication or otherwise… is likely to be arraigned…

It is difficult to imagine anyone able to defend themselves against suspicion of this offence, how much more so a Palestinian at the mercy of the Occupation…

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