Sir, – Brian Ó Éigeartaigh (Letters, Ocober 17th) states that Maher al-Akhras is being held under the "barbaric practice" of administrative detention.
A large number of countries around the world use administrative detention as a means to combat terrorism and control illegal immigration.
Unlike imprisonment, which occurs on conviction following a trial, administrative detention is only used when the suspect is deemed likely to pose a significant threat to the security of a country, and where a formal charge could reveal sensitive security information.
In the case of Maher al-Akhras, he has been identified by Israeli authorities as a prominent activist in the Palestinian extremist group Islamic Jihad, a terrorist organisation outlawed by the European Union, the United States, the UK, Israel, and others.
Islamic Jihad has carried out numerous terror attacks against Israelis, including suicide bombings, and seeks Israel’s destruction by military force. Having close ties to both Hizbullah and Iran, Islamic Jihad lauds martyrdom and rejects any truce or compromise with the “enemy”.
Arrested in late July, Mr al-Akhras has been on hunger strike ever since, and at the time of writing lies in a bed at Kaplan Medical Centre in the Central District of Israel, where he refuses all food and medical treatment, drinking only water.
On October 12th, Israel’s High Court of Justice decided not to immediately release Mr al-Akhras prior to his release deadline of November 26th but offered instead a compromise: he could end his hunger strike immediately and serve out the rest of his administrative detention which would not be renewed afterwards, unless new information on his terrorist activities came to light.
Mr al-Akhras refused. – Yours, etc,
JACKIE GOODALL,
Executive Director,
Ireland Israel Alliance,
Dublin 2.