UPDATE: 22 January – On 21 January, Malaak al-Khatib, 14, was sentenced to two months in prison on the “stone throwing” charges after her detention had been extended repeatedly since 31 December.

The hearing of Palestinian 18-year-old first-year Bir Zeit media student, Lina Khattab, was postponed by an additional week, until 25 January, by an Israeli military court on 18 January. This is the sixth time she has been brought before military court, each time denied any kind of substantive hearing, and yet denied release even under bail or house arrest. She is accused of “throwing stones” and “participating in an unlawful demonstration,” charges frequently used against Palestinians participating in or near public demonstrations calling for Palestinian freedom. Click here to take action and demand freedom for Lina Khattab!

Also on 18 January, the occupation military court at Ofer extended the detention of Malaak al-Khatib, 14-year-old Palestinian girl who has been imprisoned since 31 December 2014 on accusations of “throwing stones” at Israeli occupation soldiers at the settler bypass road closed to Palestinians near her school. Her detention has been extended 3 times since her original arrest. She is one of around 500-700 Palestinian children are detained and arrested by the Israeli occupation forces each year. If children are charged at all, it is usually with “throwing stones.”

mona-kaadanIn addition, the trial of Mona Qa’adan, 42, of Arraba near Jenin, was postponed for the nineteenth consecutive time until the end of January 2015. Qa’adan has been arrested since 13 November 2012 and her trial has been postponed repeatedly since that date. She has been denied all family visits since her arrest; each of her family members has been denied permission to visit on the pretext of “security.” She suffers from poor health, inclding arthritis, and for each one of these court hearings, she is transported over 10 hours via “Bosta” (small prisoner transport vehicle, in which prisoners are shackled during transport to court), which is physically as well as psychologically taxing.

amal-taqatqaAmal Taqatqa, of Beit Fajjar, has been moved to HaSharon prison with the other women prisoners, from her previous location in hospital. She was shot and arrested on 1 December 2014 near Gush Etzion illegal settlement south of Bethlehem after a settler approached Israeli occupation soldiers in the area and accused her of attempting to stab him. Despite sensationalistic media reporting, the settler in question was in fact uninjured and required no medical treatment. She was shot with live ammunition and seriously injured and hospitalized. She was charged on 19 December with “attempted murder” despite the clear lack of evidence. Amal’s family was harrassed, interrogated and abused by Israeli soldiers following her shooting, with testimony provided to Al-Haq.

She requires the use of a wheelchair to move inside the prison; she cannot stand or walk unaided. Originally, her request for a wheelchair was denied until multiple prisoners reported her severe distress and demanded access to a wheelchair. She has been denied family visits since her arrest.

Please click here to read information and resources on the 22 Palestinian women and girls held as political prisoners in Israeli jails.