Israel frees Palestinian women’s activist after 3 months detention without trial

Israeli occupation forces have released a leading Palestinian women’s activist after three months detention without charge or trial.

Khitam Saafin was detained in a pre-dawn raid on 2 July, and received a three-month administrative detention order. She was released on Sunday.

Saafin, 53, is president of the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committee and has participated in international events such the World Social Forum.

She was detained the same night that Israeli occupation forces also detained Palestinian parliamentarian Khalida Jarrar, who received a six-month administrative detention order.

Read: Israel sentences leading female Palestine activists to administrative detention

According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, some 450 Palestinians are currently placed under administrative detention, including five women, one child and nine parliamentarians.

“This practice of arbitrary detention is a grave violation of international laws and human rights standards,” Addameer states, “particularly articles 78 and 72 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which state that an accused individual has the right to defend himself.”