11th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Vittorio Fera was arrested on 28th August 2015 at a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh in occupied Palestine. He was beaten up several times by Israeli soldiers during and after his arrest and they only handed him over to the Israeli police after repeated requests by his lawyer to do so.
Israeli soldiers accused him of attacking them and throwing stones – claims completely unfounded, as he was documenting the violent arrest of Mohammed Tamimi. The decision on the case was postponed till Monday the 31st of August, where the court released him on a 3.000 shekel bill after 3 days in prison, and the condition to have yet another court on Tuesday the 8th September. Finally, the court took the decision to cancel this court date and relinquish the case.
With no evidence ever submitted to prove any of the claims by Israeli soldiers on the reason of Vittorio’s arrest, this is just the final step in the farce of ‘justice’ provided by the Israeli system. With the final court hearing just dropped, Vittorio’s innocence in all charges can not be officially determined by the court. The soldiers responsible for his wrongful arrest and beating him will not face any consequences on their illegal and immoral behaviour and will be free to continue as if nothing ever happened.
Vittorio’s statement on his case and the media attention:
“When things like this happen to an international, the media immediately starts to spread the news as if it’s an extraordinary case. People need to open their blind eye because these kind of things happen on a daily basis in Palestinian’s everyday lives. We need the same attention and condemnation of these acts of violence, brutality and illegal activity by the Israeli government.
Whereas an international can be deported or declared not guilty and that’s just it, for Palestinians on the other hand, even without any evidence, they can be put in administrative detention and kept locked up in a prison for years without the right to a due process.”
Vittorio Fera is released on bail after an extremely violent and terrifying time in Israeli prisons. He is falsely accused of throwing stones and attacking Israeli soldiers. His case will be in court again Tuesday the 8th of September in Jerusalem.
Here is Fera’s own testimony on the arrest, imprisonment and the international media attention:
1st September | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Friday the 28th of August Vittorio Fera was violently arrested by Israeli forces. He was beaten up during the arrest and treated badly in prison. His case was in court Monday 31st of August and is now postponed till the 8th of September. The story has been covered in the media, and we are proud of the international media for bringing the case to the surface and showing the world how people are treated in occupied Palestine.
Vittorio Fera violently arrested.
Especially Italian media have taken this particular case very seriously, and even the city council of Napoli has taken a stand in the case. Here is a message by the mayor of Napoli on the violent arrest of Vittorio Fera from the 31st of August:
“The presence of committed and sensitive people engaged in non-violent actions of testimony in the occupied territories of Palestine are a necessary resource for the entire international community. This activity documents and discourages abuses against the civilian population. The International Solidarity Movement activist Vittorio Fera was engaged in this valuable work near the Palestinian village Nabi Saleh in the West Bank when he was arrested by the Israeli authorities. From Naples, a city that has always worked for peace and coexistence of all the peoples of the Mediterranean, we are asking the Foreign Ministry to work for the immediate release of Vittorio Fera and to guarantee all the necessary practicability for the international and pacifist organizations working commendably in the land of Palestine. “
– Mayor Luigi de Magistris, Napoli
Vittorio Fera was released on bail with conditions yesterday evening. Shortly after the release, the Italian TV station RAI news made an interview with Vittorio Fera. Other Italian media has been interviewing other activists, who took part in the non-violent demonstration and were present at the court in Jerusalem yesterday morning.
The story has not just reached Italy, but is also getting attention in the rest of the world. The hashtag #VittorioFera has been used on twitter 960 times on twitter and have reached approximately 2000000 people. In Denmark, a member of the parliament, will take up the case of Vittorio Fera and other cases of military violence against internationals in Palestine in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vittorio is doing fine under the circumstances, and is really happy to be out of the Israeli prison, where he was not treated well. We, in ISM, are really grateful for all the attention on the case of Vittorio Fera, and hope this will make more people see what is going on. This case does not stand alone. Palestinians and internationals get arrested every single day without reason or on false accusations. We need the world to recognize this problem and support Palestinians and internationals in the fight against the injustice, that we see in Palestine every single day.
15th May 2015 | Karam (Muhannad) | Ofer military prison, Occupied Palestine
The following post is written by the medic that was present on the scene on May 15th 2014, during the killing of Mohammad Odeh and Nadeem Nuwwarah as protesters commemorated al-Nakba near Ofer Military Prison.
During Nakba day commemoration, Birzeit’s student council were trying to gather students to go to Ofer, but it seemed that no one was interested. I decided to go by myself, so I gathered some friends and went to Ramallah and then to Ofer.
En route to Ofer, I received a call saying “a kid got shot with live [ammunition]..it’s bad.” I then asked the driver to hurry. We arrived to Ofer and there were many people. Three Israeli soldiers were standing up the hill 120 meters away with the rest of them standing 500 meters away in the field across. There was teargas and rubber bullets, which was normal. Nothing I’m not used to.
Two kids were going back and forth throwing stones at the three soldiers, even though they kept missing the soldiers they continued to try because they are kids. I went down to open my bag and I looked back to see if it’s safe and I could see the two kids coming back.
I can still remember the two kids, and two flags. One green and the other black, one was for Hamas and the other was the Nakba flag.
Medic pressing against Mohammad Odeh’s chest after he was shot with live ammunition. May 15th, 2014 – photo by AP
I searched inside my bag to find something that to this day I can’t remember what it was I was looking for. Suddenly I heard a shot. One shot and it was live ammunition. I jumped to the left and went down even though I know it was live and live travels faster than the sound it projects. But it was the natural accustomed reaction. Two seconds is all the time it takes for the sound to disappear. I look to my left and he was falling. Mohammad was falling to the ground. I ran to him as he was two meters away.
I was able to reach him before he hit the ground. I looked at him, checking his body. I saw a hole in his chest and I put my hand on it to apply pressure and stop the bleeding, basic first aid training.
He held my hand and looked at me trying to say something but he didn’t have the time. I screamed for an ambulance and asked for help. Two people came to help me carry him. The ambulance was 10 meters away, the man next to me was saying “Mohammad stay with us.” That’s how I knew his name.
We put him in the ambulance and returned to where we were.
I began to tell myself he is alive and he was shot in the lung and fainted, that’s why there was no blood only a hole. Only one spot of blood was on my hand. I tried to convince myself that he is alive. He is alive.
I knew though. I knew something was wrong. I became a ghost walking in Ofer back and forth towards the soldiers. News started to arrive about two martyrs. Nadeem and Mohammad. I started asking about Mohammad Abu Al Dhaher and the other Mohammad who was shot before I arrived. I started calling my friends at the hospital asking them to confirm the name.
Mohammad Odeh being carried to a nearby ambulance. Ofer military prison, May 15th, 2014 – photo by AP
Twenty minutes later, my friend who worked at the hospital called and said “it was Mohamad Abu al Dhaher. The last one you put in the ambulance.”
I stayed in Ofer. I didn’t know what to do, I wrote their names on the wall and stayed there, but I wasn’t really there. I was a ghost.
Two hours later I went to the hospital, I’m not even sure if it was two hours later. I had lost track of time at that pont. I couldn’t feel it anymore. It’s as though the whole world had stopped at that moment. I arrived to the hospital and entered inside. There were tons of people gathering. Friends, journalists..but I couldn’t look at any of them.
Afterwards, a group of protesters had marched to the hospital coming from Ramallah after they closed down the shops in honor of the martyrs. I stood in the middle of the street as they all passed by me. I didn’t know where to go, or what to do. Journalists that were asking for interviews were saying “we heard you were the last one next to the martyr.” I went away. I couldn’t say anything. I tried to find a place where I can’t see anyone, so I went behind a car and stopped for a few minutes trying to understand but I couldn’t. Everything began to flash but I couldn’t remember. I began to breathe fast and wasn’t able to move my face. People gathered around me in attempt to take me inside the hospital but I resisted and began to call out the name of a friend that can take me out. Someone knew her and after a while she arrived and tried to take me inside the hospital. I asked her to take me out of there and she did.
That’s when my trip began.
I still remember his masked face, I never remembered his face because I only saw his face on posters, a week later.
3 minutes. 3 minutes is the time we had. They always told us that our job as medics is to keep the patient alive until the ambulance arrives. But this time, even 3 minutes weren’t enough.
It has been a year now but it still feels like yesterday. Everyone has forgotten and it’s only his family that is living in torment. Today I realize that he is gone and nothing that we could have done would have stopped it. Nothing.
The only thing that we should do is keep fighting for them and for ourselves, until we find justice. Until every soldier is held accountable for their crimes.
09th May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Ramallah, Occupied Palestine
UPDATED – On the 20th April, Israeli forces arrested Mohammed Adeeb Abu Rahmah while he was on his way to Mecca.
Mohammed Abu Rahmah
Mohammed is the 19 year old son of prominent Bil’in activists Adeeb Abu Rahmah. Father of nine, Adeeb was sentenced for 18 months in military prison for his role in the popular struggle to free his village’s land from the occupation forces. (Read our previous article on his arrest here)
Adeeb with his family
Now Mohammed, his eldest son, has just been arrested and held in the Ofer military prison. His court case is not due to happen until at least the end of May.
Mohammed Abu Rahmah was arrested crossing the bridge into Jordan while trying to travel to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage. According to his lawyer Neri Ramati, the case Mohammad was arrested for was closed a year ago and involved the weekly protests of Bil’in against the construction of the apartheid wall.
His family thanks everyone who has donated money toward his release. Mohammed is now out of prison. However, only two thirds of the needed sum has been collected and they are still needing $750 that have been borrowed.
If you are able to help financially, please follow this Paypal link: https://palsolidarity.org/donate/
Any amount will help. Together we can support the Abu Rahmah family with Mohammed’s freedom! If you are unable to help financially, please spread the word.
Please send an email to palreports@gmail.com and lumalayan@gmail.com with Mohammed Abu Rahmah in the subject line to let us know about your donation. If any additional money is raised, ISM will use it to obtain the release of other Palestinian activists imprisoned by the occupation forces for resisting the theft of their lands.
