Michigan – The American Center for Justice (ACJ) is closely monitoring the broad global mobilization taking place today, 31 January, across multiple countries, marking a dedicated day of international solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. This mobilization is part of a global campaign demanding their release and an end to Israel’s systematic policy of detention, under the hashtag #FreePalHostages.
This global action comes amid alarming data indicating that, as of December 2025, Israeli authorities are detaining more than 9,300 Palestinian political prisoners, including approximately 350 children, 49 women, 42 journalists, and 9 elected parliamentarians, as part of a widespread arrest policy targeting all segments of Palestinian society. Local human rights organizations further report that more than 3,350 Palestinians are currently held without charge or trial under the administrative detention system, which relies on so-called “secret files.” In addition, at least 1,200–1,400 detainees from the Gaza Strip are being held under the so-called “Unlawful Combatant” law, a regime that deprives detainees of the most basic legal safeguards and fundamental rights.
The American Center for Justice affirms that these practices constitute grave and flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit arbitrary detention, guarantee the right to liberty and a fair trial, and provide special protections for children and civilians in times of armed conflict.
The Center further stresses that the continued use of administrative detention and opaque exceptional legal frameworks, such as the “Unlawful Combatant” system, represents a systematic erosion of the rule of law. These mechanisms function as tools of collective punishment aimed at subjugating and deterring Palestinian society, entirely detached from principles of justice or due process.
The American Center for Justice calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees, with particular emphasis on children, women, journalists, and elected representatives, and for an end to all forms of arbitrary detention without charge or trial. The Center also demands that detainees be granted their full legal rights, including access to legal counsel, communication with their families, adequate medical care, and protection from all forms of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
Furthermore, the Center urges the international community, particularly the United Nations and its relevant mechanisms, to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities by intensifying pressure to end these violations, ensuring the launch of independent international investigations, securing unrestricted access to detention facilities, and working decisively to hold perpetrators accountable and prevent impunity.
The American Center for Justice underscores that the continued international silence regarding the suffering of thousands of Palestinian prisoners constitutes not only a moral failure, but also actively contributes to entrenching a system of impunity and undermines confidence in international justice and the fundamental principles of human dignity.
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