Note: Where null values are present, we estimate and fill in missing data points on the chart, by identifying known values and calculating the gaps between them. In return, it ensures the chart remains easy to read and interpret, even when some data is missing. Where values have been interpolated they are designated with the color ●
| Category | Value | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Total Number of Political Prisoners | 6500 | |
| Administrative Detainees | 530 | |
| Female prisoners | 18 | |
| Jerusalemite prisoners | 530 | |
| Palestinian Legislative Council members | 25 | |
| Prisoners serving life sentences | 478 | |
| Prisoners serving more than 20 years | 30 | |
| Prisoners serving more than 25 years | 15 | |
Imprisonment of indigenous peoples by colonial forces, by definition, makes them political prisoners due to the inherently political nature of their capture and incarceration. As such, every Palestinian is a political prisoner detained for their opposition to the violence of zionist structures. In the context of settler colonialism, indigenous individuals captured and jailed were often engaged in resisting the invasion, displacement, and exploitation brought by colonizers. Palestinians are no different: Their resistance, whether through armed struggle, protest, or other means, represented a direct challenge to the colonial agenda. Consequently, their imprisonment serves not as a measure of justice for actual crimes but as a tool to suppress their political opposition and quell resistance to colonial domination. Using a framework of "criminality" when discussing the imprisonment of Palestinians represents a colonial framework of racism that attempts to legitimize mass incarceration as a means of control.
This data set represents the current number of incarcerated Palestinians in Israeli colonial prisons as reported by Addameer . It is critical to remember this doesn't account for all the Palestinian political prisoners held imprisoned with Israeli citizenship, or the thousands of others across Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, the United States and elsewhere in the diaspora.
Lastly, political prisoners and their families are often times the last to receive social, political and financial support because of the manufactured stigma of being a "prisoner". We recommend community organize invest their time and money into the work of Adameer and Samidoun.
Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is an international group dedicated to supporting Palestinian prisoners in their fight for freedom. Formed after the 2011 hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Samidoun focuses on raising awareness about the conditions and demands of these political prisoners. The network also organizes campaigns to advocate for their rights and freedoms.
You can find out more how to donate to Addameer here and contribute to Samidoun here.
