Tag: Prisoner - Page 3 - International Solidarity Movement

Free Ahed Tamimi!

20th of December 2017 | Samidoun, Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network | Occupied Palestine

UPDATE: Bassem Tamimi, Ahed’s father, has also been arrested by Israeli occupation forces as he went to the court where his daughter and wife are held. Samidoun are updating the alert below and urge people to join the call to free Ahed and Nariman!

UPDATE: Nariman Tamimi, Ahed’s mother, has also been arrested by Israeli occupation forces as she went to the Benjamin occupation police station to support her daughter, reported Bassem Tamimi on Facebook. We are updating our alert below and urge people to join the call to free Ahed and Nariman!

Ahed Tamimi, 16 years old and a prominent activist in the occupied Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh, whosecourage along with that of her family in standing up to armed Israeli soldiers, land confiscation and settlement construction stealing the resources and even the well of their village has become world-renowned, was seized by occupation soldiers who invaded the Tamimi family home on the morning of 19 December 2017.

Ahed’s father, Bassem, posted on Facebook that Ahed was targeted for arrest after she was attacked by Israeli media after she protested occupation soldiers in Nabi Saleh who shot a 14-year-old boy in the head with a rubber-coated metal bullet; the boy, Mohammed Tamimi, is in a medically-induced coma. Tamimi reported that the soldiers violently invaded the home, hitting Ahed’s mother, Nariman Tamimi, and siblings, and confiscating phones, cameras, laptop and other electronics. Ahed was taken away by the occupation soldiers to an unknown location.

Ahed’s visa to the United States in early 2017 was put under “administrative review,” when she was to participate in a tour across the U.S. with writer and activist Nadya Tannous and Black liberation activist and minister Amanda Weatherspoon on Palestinian-Black solidarity and joint struggle. The lengthy delay and effective visa denial meant that Ahed was unable to join the tour live.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network denounces the arrest of Ahed Tamimi and Nariman Tamimi, the latest of over 450 Palestinians arrested by Israeli occupation forces following U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration of recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Issa Qaraqe of the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Commission stated that approximately half of those detained, like Ahed, Abdul-Khalik Burnat and Fawzi al-Junaidi, are children. There are hundreds of Palestinian children jailed by Israel and frequently subject to beatings, abuse, and interrogations without parents or lawyers present in violation of the law. We urge people of conscience around the world to take action to demand freedom for Ahed and her fellow detained and jailed Palestinian children in occupation detention centers, interrogation centers and prisons – and for Nariman Tamimi and all detained and imprisoned Palestinians.

The resistance of the Palestinian people has never been quelled by arrests or repression, and it must be clear that we, around the world, stand alongside the Palestinian people as they defend Jerusalem and their entire land and people under attack. This includes standing with detained and jailed Palestinian prisoners in their struggle for liberation for themselves, their people, and their occupied homeland.

TAKE ACTION:

1. For supporters in the US: Call your member of Congress to support H.R. 4391, the Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act. Tell them specifically about Ahed’s arrest, and urge them to act for her release. Click here to tell your member of Congress to support the bill. Tell them to pressure Israel to free Ahed and other detained Palestinian kids.
2. For international supporters: Call your government officials and demand action for Ahed Tamimi and other Palestinian child prisoners, and freedom for Nariman Tamimi.Call your country’s officials urgently:
  Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop: + 61 2 6277 7500
  Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland: +1-613-992-5234
  European Union Commissioner Federica Mogherini: +32 (0) 2 29 53516
  New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully: +64 4 439 8000
  United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson: +44 20 7008 1500
  United States President Donald Trump: 1-202-456-1111
3. Call your nearest Israeli embassy and let them know that you know about the detention of Ahed Tamimi in Nabi Saleh and other Palestinian child prisoners. Demand Ahed, her mother Nariman, and the other detained children be immediately released. Contact infomation here: https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/israel
4. Join one of the many protests for Jerusalem and distribute this post and other news about Ahed and the Palestinian prisoners. Get others involved in the struggle for Palestinian freedom! Build the campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel and complicit corporations like HP and G4S.

Israeli soldiers arrest 16-year old girl and her mother in Nabi Saleh

December 19th 2017 International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | International Womens Peace Struggle | Occupied Palestine

UPDATE: Bassem Tamimi, Ahed’s father, has also been arrested by Israeli occupation forces as he went to the court where his daughter and wife are held.

No break for the kid-targeted repressive operation of the Israeli forces. Tonight soldiers raided Nabi Saleh and arrested Ahed Tamimi. Since years, the village has been the scene for many protests against Halamish illegal settlement, whichs’ construction led to land confiscation and theft of water from the local spring belonging to the Palestinians. During the years this little village echoed the Palestinian struggle all over the world.

16-year old Ahed has often appeared in videos where she is seen facing Israeli military during protests. On the 18th of december, when soldiers shot 14-year old Mohammed Tamimi, in the face with a rubber coated steel bullet (still treated in a medically-induced coma in the hospital), she stood in front of the entrance pushing the Israeli soldiers back trying to keep them out. The video has been used by the Zionist press as a mean of propaganda to show the kindness and the courtesy of the soldiers as a contrary to the ‘violence’ of Ahed. Of course, the blocking action costed her the arrest. This morning at 4 the Israeli armed forces stole the families cameras and telephone, beat the son up, and arrested Ahed. No explanation has been provided about the case.

Furthermore, later in the morning, when her
mother Nariman went to Benjamin police station to ask for the daughter and the charges, the Israeli army reponse was to arrest her. The family still do not know anything about the evolution of the situation.

Meanwhile, this afternoon, Israeli soldiers kept on shooting tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets at people protesting at the checkpoint at the entrance of the village.

Nabi Saleh, is a village in the occupied West Bank of only 530 residents, the villagers have protested since 2009 against the occupation and the illegal settlements on their land. 2 protesters were killed during these protests. One of them is Neriman’s brother Rushdi whi was lethally shot by Israeli soldiers on the 17th November 2012, he died from his wounds. The other Mustafa Tamimi was Neriman’s cousin was murdered on December 201114 year old Mohammed Tamimi was shot from close range in the face on the December 2017 and , remains in critical condition. Aljazeera.com

On the 21 November 2014 Nariman Tamimi was shot with live ammunition her femor was shattered and reconstructed in surgery. palsolidarity.org

Nariman Tamimi is a mother of four studied international law. Her daughter Ahed Tamimi has become a known face because of her courage standing up against soldiers. On Friday 28/08/2015 during another one of the protest marches in the village, a soldiers got hold of 12 year old Mohamed Tamimi who was treated for an injury to his wrist just 2 days before. Nariman Tamimi and Ahed managed to get him out of the hold of the soldier. Miri Regev said that the unarmed protesters should have been shot. mondowiess.net

Arrests of children as young of 12 by the occupation are no exception. More than 700 Palestinian children are imprisoned in Israeli jails each year, this number does not include children who are arrested for a few hours. Stone throwing charges often lead to jail sentences between 2 and 6 months with lawyers advising children to plead guilty since release on bail is hardly ever allowed and the time for the appeal often exceeds 6 months. Arrest is always a frightening experience for children of any age and even more so because during arrest and interrogation they are not accompanied by their parents or even a lawyer and even while serving prison sentences their parents are not allowed to visit.

Settlers from illegal Halamish settlement block Route 450 for Palestinians in revenge

20th August 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwwara-team | Nabi Saleh, occupied Palestine

On 23rd July, two days after the killing of three settlers from the illegal settlement of Halamish, settlers blocked Route 450 with self-made barricades preventing Palestinians from using the main road, which connects Nabi Saleh village with the south Baytillu .

The road blockade was built at the roundabout in the south of Nabi Saleh, where Route 465 goes into Route 450 and was accompanied by the building of an new illegal settler outpost on the land of Nabi Saleh. According to eyewitnesses settlers were since then seen dancing and sitting behind the self made blockades to overlook their illegal roadblock. Exclusively settler-cars and army vehicles have been allowed to cross the blockade, thus enforcing a racist roadblock only on Palestinians. Route 450 is one of the main connecting roads from the Salfit area to Ramallah and is used as an everyday passage for students at the Birzeit university and farmers to reach their land. The normally twelve minutes ride from Baytillu to Nabi Saleh now, given the roadblock, takes one and a half hour as Palestinians are forced to make a detour through Ramallah to reach their destination. And not just Baytillu is affected by this: the people from the surrounding villages Jamala, Deir ´Ammar, Deir ´Ammar Camp and Deir Nidham next to Nabi Saleh are heavily restricted in their movement, because of the closed street segment, which is now just accessible for settlers from the illegal settlements Halamish, Nahiel, Talmon and Dolev.

The settlers are supported by the Israeli occupation forces wh just recently installed metal gates on Route 450 at the entrance of Baytillu and close to the illegal Halamish settlement. Therefore, the inhabitants of Baytillu fear that this will be a permanent roadblock and their land will be confiscated by settlers.

Around 10.000 dunums of Baytillu land is cut off from their owners, as well as a spring, which is essential for the farmers in the area. Moreover nine houses are located behind the road gates, which means the inhabitants can only reach their houses by foot and are forced to leave their cars at the gate in Baytillu.

With the olive harvest coming up in a month, accessing the crops is crucial for the farmers. The DCO, which is responsible for coordination between Palestinians and the occupying power Israel, postponed a scheduled meeting to discuss the road blockades without setting up a new date.

The case of Route 450 however is far from the only one of its kind: the blocking of roads is a common means of control by the occupation forces to limit the movement of inhabitants in Area C. Likewise the connecting road between Baytillu and Korba, also a path used by farmers for agricultural purposes was closed off recently.

Both blockades limit the freedom of movement and the access to farmland in the area, often also enforced as a measure of collective punishment. In this particular case the Israeli forces blocked off the whole village of Korba with several street blockades at every entrance of the village after the killing of three settlers in Halamish. Furthermore the COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) decided on the punitive house demolition of the family house [comment: house demolition was carried out in the night from Wednesday the 16th August to Thursday at 01:30 am accompanied by soldiers using rubber coated steel bullets against protesters and causing casualties] from the 19 year old Omar al-Abed, who is accused of stabbing the three setters, as well as arrested several members of his family, accusing them of not preventing the young man from carrying out the act.

Punitive demolition measurements are against Article 33 of the fourth Geneva Convention, which was ratified 1951 by Israel: “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited.”

These cases illustrate again how the illegal settlers in the West Bank enjoy complete impunity for their actions under the protection of the Israeli occupying forces, who act brutally against the civilian population in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories.

8th Kite Festival in Burin

18th July 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Burin, occupied Nablus

At the beginning of July the local committee of Burin invited to the town`s 8th Kite Festival of the City. The festival is kind of a tradition for this town, but has not taken place for the last three years, because the main organiser and head of the Burin Youth Committee, Target Organisation for Rural Development, Ghassan Najar was in prison, having been arrested for hosting the last Kite Festival in 2014.

Burin is a small village west of Nablus with 2,000 inhabitants.

Around 400 people participated in the festival, which saw the community organise food, water and music for the attendees, who gathered on a hill in the north of the village. Families from Burin, children form the Jordan Valley and also kids from the Balata refugee camp in Nablus were able to come together to spend a sunny day in the hills and to compete to see whose kite flew highest. The children brought colourful, handmade kites, the men danced and the women handed out delicious homemade treats. The atmosphere was full of peace and joy.

Every child got a medal as memento for this great day after the competition was over.

Some children proudly showing their medals

The main organiser, Ghassan, has been head of the Target Organisation for Rural Development for several years. This Committee is heavily targeted by the Israeli forces: 25 of the 40 members were once detained up to three years without a charge, laptops were stolen, their belongings were broken and relatives of the members threatened.

Military raids are common in Burin, as it is located directly next to the illegal Ariel settlement and surrounded by illegal military and settler outposts. Settlers are constantly threatening the farmers of the village when they go out to work on their land. A huge part of the land is not even accessible for the farmers, as entering the property which is close to the settlement is simply to dangerous. Settler violence is one of the major problems of the community: burned olive trees, stolen olives and harassment are part and parcel of the olive harvest season.

Israeli forces shoot at and arrest 14-year old boy in Hebron

26th June 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

A fourteen year old Palestinian boy was shot at by settlers and soldiers before being arrested on the 25^th June at 4:00 pm outside Bab al-Baladiya, the military base overlooking the old city in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). Sources are unclear as to why he was arrested however it is known that the Israeli forces have been looking for him for a long period of time.

The settlers that reportedly shot at Mohammad

Eyewitnesses claim that Muhammad was outside of the gate of Bab al-Baladiya when a group of settlers and soldiers shot three rounds of live ammunition as well as reportedly throwing sound bombs. After that, they came out from the gate and took him inside the base.

Muhammad’s brother Mahmoud (18) was arrested in a similar fashion on May 17^th and has yet to be released. After arresting Mahmoud, the Israeli forces called their family to demand that Muhammad be turned over in exchange for Mahmoud. This praxis is clearly against any human rights standards and is intended to exert pressure on the family to basically exchange one son for the other, clearly disregarding any kind of legal standards in the proceeding.

This took place on the first day of Eid al-Fitr “the feast of breaking the fast”, the most important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide, marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. This feast, normally, is a family feast, where everyone would go and visit their families, which in occupied al-Khalil is impeded to a large degree by Israeli forces. Both Mohammad and Mahmoud though, will not be able to celebrate this feast with their families.