Palestinian lawmaker given 15-month sentence based on 'secret material'

An Israeli military court sentenced a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) to 15 months in prison.

Ofer military court gave Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar a 15-month prison sentence for purely political reasons, according to her husband, Ghassan Jarrar.

"After the Israeli occupation government absorbed the global scandal of arresting a member of the PLC and levelling political accusations in the first degree against her, today they sentence her," her husband told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Jarrar was placed under administrative detention based on secret material from the day she was arrested

Jarrar was arrested by Israeli forces from her home in the West Bank town of al-Bireh, on 2 April 2015.

The Israeli government charged her on 12 accounts, and after 25 court hearings, the prosecution and the court settled on three main charges: Providing assistance to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), incitement against Israel, and membership in the PFLP.

Jarrar is a prominent and inspirational leader in Palestinian society. In addition to being a lawmaker, she is a women's rights activist, and a member of the board of directors for the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.

Addameer reported in November that the Israeli military prosecution relied on secret material to maintain leverage during the trial proceedings in Jarrar's case.

Jarrar was placed under administrative detention based on "secret material" from the day she was arrested.

Addameer also said that Israel used "fabricated charges" against Jarrar obtained through "deceptive and flawed interrogation techniques" that were used to obtain confessions from Palestinian detainees.

The witnesses later denied the confessions, which they said were given under duress.

The military prosecution "requested considering them hostile witnesses and the court approved that request," according to Addameer.

Jarrar's husband told al-Araby that the Israeli police had been exhausting his wife by transporting her from prison to court nearly 25 times in the past few months.

"It takes 22 hours to transfer her each time. She is usually prevented from using the toilet for nearly 8 hours and remains in cuffs all the time."

Jarrar is detained in Hasharon prison where Palestinian women are mainly held. Her husband is not allowed to visit her on "security" grounds.