Israel extends detention of jailed Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar

Israel on Sunday said it has extended the detention of a Palestinian lawmaker, held without charge over the past year, for an additional four months.

Khalida Jarrar had been scheduled to be released on 30 June, but the army said a military court had determined the 55-year-old woman continued to pose a security threat.

Her husband denounced the decision as "political".

Jarrar is being held under Israel's policy of "administrative detention," which allows it to hold Palestinians for months or even years at a time without charge or trial.

Israel says it uses administrative detentions only in exceptional cases that threaten security, while critics say the policy is used too often and violates the right to due process.

Lawyers say it is impossible to defend their clients because they are not allowed to view evidence against them.

In 2015, Jarrar, who is well-known for her fiery speeches and public appearances, served 15 months after being convicted of incitement to violence and "promoting terror activities".

Jarrar, a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), was arrested again last year and has remained in administrative detention.

The PFLP is a left-leaning faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The Israeli military said the extension was based on "secret information" and determined Jarrar "still presented a substantial threat".

Her husband, Ghassan, accused the military of fabricating the case against his wife.

"It's a political detention," he said. "In her trial, Israeli security failed to provide any proof against her. Therefore, they referred her to administrative detention."

The Addameer rights group says around 6,150 Palestinians are currently in Israeli jails, including around 450 in administrative detention.

At least 11 members of the Palestinian parliament are currently imprisoned in Israeli jails.