Palestinian lawyers boycott Israeli court after being 'violated' during security checks

Lawyers representing Palestinians in the notorious Salem Military Court have announced that they have suspended their appearances in court after experiencing “humiliating” checks, according to a statement carried by the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs.

Lawyers described the security checks they endured by the Israel Prison Services (IPS) as “violent and humiliating”.

Salem Military Court is notorious for its harassment of lawyers representing Palestinians. In 2012, a similar boycott was staged after lawyers experienced extortionate levels of harassment.

The boycott began after Palestinian lawyers participated in a walkout on 11 October 2012 after being subjected to sacrilegious physical searches.

Boycotts of Israeli courts have also occurred for reasons other than harassment of lawyers.

During the 40-day Freedom and Dignity hunger strike, which over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners participated, Palestinian lawyers representing the hunger strikers announced they were boycotting Israeli courts in protest of the systematic oppression Palestinians face at the hands of the Israeli justice system and the police.

The court is also famous for being one of two military courts in which Palestinian civilians, including children, are persecuted in the occupied West Bank.

It is known for its vicious treatment of Palestinians, who are deemed a security risk for “crimes” as miniscule as holding the Palestinian flag – something which Israeli Military Order 101 paves way for the criminalisation of.