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by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Census Department of the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees issued a report on Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel, revealing that Israeli soldiers kidnapped 2436 Palestinians since the beginning of this year, and that the number of detainees currently held by Israel is 5200.

Former Political Prisoner, head of the Census department, researcher Abdul-Nasser Farawna, stated that the detained Palestinians are held in 17 Israeli prisons, detention and interrogation centers, and that 146 of them are held under arbitrary Administrative Detention without charges or trial.

Farawna said that Israel is holding captive 220 children, including 42 below the age of 16. He added that 13 democratically elected legislators, and 13 women, are still imprisoned by Israel. The longest serving female detainee in Lina Jrabouni; she was taken prisoner in April of 2002 and was sentenced to 17 years.

The official also stated that there are 520 detainees who have been sentenced to at least one life term, and that detainee Abdullah Barghouthi was sentenced to 67 life terms and additional 250 years.

There are currently 78 detainees who have been imprisoned since before the first Oslo Agreement of May 4 1994, including 23 detainees who have been imprisoned since more than 25 years. The longest serving detainees are Karim Younis and Maher Younis; both were kidnapped 31 years ago, and Issa Abed-Rabbo, who was kidnapped 29 years ago.