Angela Davis on International Women’s Day 2015: Free Rasmea Odeh!

9 March 2015

By Angela Y. Davis, March 4, 2015

For one hundred and six years working class and progressive men and women over the entire world have been marching and demanding equal rights for women on March 8. This is a cornerstone of the unity that we all know is required if we are to win the liberation of the people from exploitation, white supremacist racism, and grinding poverty that afflicts a fourth of the world’s people, according to the World Bank. It is outrageous that four days later, on March 12, 2015, in a Federal Court in Detroit Michigan, the U. S. Justice Department will be asking Judge Gershwin A. Drain to sentence Rasmea Odeh, a courageous activist for women’s rights and human rights, to five to seven years in prison, according to news reports. This is far beyond the federally recommended guidelines of 12-21 months.

Rasmea Odeh has been a naturalized U. S. citizen for over ten years. What is her crime? Her arrest and prosecution are politically motivated and are clearly designed to disrupt the Palestine human rights community. Only now, when the Chicago activist community has effectively raised awareness of Israel’s apartheid system and its violation of international laws, have immigration authorities decided to challenge her status as a citizen. In light of success of the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment campaign, this case reeks of political payback. Federal authorities allege that Odeh did not disclose her arrest in Palestine 45 years ago by an Israeli military court, an institution that has a long record of human rights violations. At that time of her arrest in Palestine, Odeh was forced into a confession while being subjected to physical and sexual torture, some of it perpetrated in front of her now deceased father. Odeh never committed a crime, and her arrest and conviction by an Israeli military court was unlawful.

For decades, Odeh has been an upright and contributing member of her community. She has worked with the Chicago-based Arab American Action Network, an advocacy and social service agency, supervising programs and coordinating its Arab Women’s Committee, a 600-member group that actively defends civil liberties and immigrant rights. Targeting a person who has been such an active proponent for positive change is a serious setback for civil rights and militates against democracy and justice.

As a person with first-hand knowledge of the devastation wrought by politically motivated prosecutions — during the era of COINTELPRO, I was falsely charged with three capital offenses — I see Rasmea Odeh’s case as a continuation of the embarrassing history of decades of suppression of social justice activists in the U.S. The courts are being used to retaliate against Palestinian activism. As many people in Chicago and Detroit once joined the call to “Free Angela Davis,” I hope they will now join the campaign to “Free Rasmea Odeh.”

Support Rasmea Thursday, March 12! Come to Detroit or organize solidarity rallies in your city!

9 March 2015

Register if you are attending the sentencing hearing in Detroit

Stand with Rasmea and fill the federal courthouse in Detroit!
We are committed to filling the courtroom, and an overflow room, on Rasmea’s sentencing day on March 12th. We will also organize a picket in front of the courthouse one hour before the hearing.

To continue to show the support for Rasmea that we did throughout her trial and pre-trial hearings, we need you in Detroit!

For those who can’t make it to Detroit, organize rallies in solidarity with Rasmea in your city on March 12! Email stopfbi@gmail.com to tell us about them.

Detroit action at Rasmea’s sentencing
Thursday, March 12
at 10 AM EST

(hearing starts at 11 AM EST)
231 W. Lafayette Blvd., downtown Detroit

Please join us on Thursday, March 12th, in Detroit for Rasmea’s sentencing hearing. Rasmea was unjustly convicted in November of last year, and the prosecution is now asking for an enhanced sentence of 5-7 years in prison. (The vast majority of those convicted of Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization are sentenced to no more than 21 months.)

Rasmea’s defense attorneys are arguing that she shouldn’t be imprisoned for even one more day, and over 70 important leaders of unions and community-based, faith-based, civil rights, and student organizations, as well as prominent academics and activists, who all wrote letters of leniency to Judge Gershwin Drain, agree.

In addition, it must be made clear that Rasmea will be appealing the conviction regardless of the outcome of the sentencing, so visit the national Rasmea Defense Committee’s new website at www.justice4rasmea.org to help us fundraise for the appeal and learn of other action steps you can take.

Rasmea spoke with her supporters across the country by livestream a number of times in the past few weeks, and fundraisers and educational events, including yesterday’s International Women’s Day celebration, were organized in New York City, Minneapolis, Chicago, San Francisco, Tucson, Tampa, St. Lake City, Gainesville, Miami, Phoenix, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Albuquerque, Seattle, Albany, NY, Fishers IN, DC, and other cities. More fundraisers are scheduled for Fishers, IN, and Chicago this coming week. (See a full list of events here.)

There is still much more organizing to be done!
Register here to join us in Detroit on March 12,
visit www.justice4rasmea.org for more information,
or email justice4rasmea@uspcn.org with any questions.

We need your help to pay for Rasmea Odeh’s legal appeal and if she needs prison commissary funds. Please donate to the Rasmea Odeh defense fund:http://www.stopfbi.net/donate

The national Rasmea Defense Committee is led by United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN),Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), and Coalition to Protect People’s Rights (CPPR); and includes 8th Day Center for Justice, Al-Awda NY: the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)-Chicago, ADC National, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), ANSWER Coalition, Anti-War Committee (AWC)-Chicago, AWC-Minneapolis, Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East,Arab Resource and Organizing Center, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Chicago Light Brigade, Committee Against Political Repression, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Chicago, CAIR-Michigan, Friends of Sabeel-North America, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, International League of Peoples’ Struggle-U.S., Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (KRCC),Latino Organization of the Southwest (LOS), Lifta Society, Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice (MECAWI), Middle East Crisis Committee (CT), Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition, National Boricua Human Rights Network, National Lawyers Guild (NLG), National Students for Justice in Palestine,Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago, Palestine Solidarity Legal Support, Palestinian Youth Movement-USA Branch, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, United African Organization, United National Antiwar Coalition, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Voces de la Frontera, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), and Z Collective.

March 13, London: 2 Protests to Free the Hares Boys!

9 March 2015

2 protests in London March 13, Part of the global days of action to Free the Hares Boys:

Protest to Free the Hares Boys at the House of Parliament

Date: Friday 13th Mar 2015, 7:30 am
Location: Near Houses of Parliament, Exact Location TBA
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1545993405649973/

Organized by London Palestine Action

Let’s gather together on Friday 13 March at 7.30am for the 8.00 am start near Houses of Parliament (exact location to be confirmed) to mark the 2nd anniversary of the Hares Boys incarceration and to demand their freedom.
No to Israeli occupation of Palestine and its war crimes! Boycott Israeli apartheid state!

FREE THE HARES BOYS – 2 YEARS ANNIVERSARY – 5 CHILDREN ABDUCTED, TORTURED & CAGED FOR NO CRIME

DATE: Friday 13th Mar 2015, 3-5pm
LOCATION: G4S HQ, 105 Victoria Street, London (near Victoria Station)
FACEBOOK EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/1559978377612565/
Organized by www.inminds.com

Five Palestinian children have been tortured and caged by Israel for 2 years for a crime that didn’t even happen. Please join us on the second anniversary of their abduction as we demand justice for the Hares Boys, outside the headquarters of the British security contractor G4S who secure Israel’s notorious Al-Jalame interrogation centre, where the children were savagely tortured, and Israel’s Megiddo prison where the children have been caged for two years.THE HARES BOYS

On 14th March 2013 a simple car accident, when a illegal Israeli settler car speeding along a road built illegally on stolen Palestinian land, crashed in to the back of an Israeli truck which had stopped to change a flat tire resulting in four people being hurt, was later at the behest of angry settlers presented as an attack by Palestinian stone throwing youth. The truck drivers earlier testimony that he stopped due to a flat tire was replaced with the new reason being that he had seen stones by the road, and an accident that happened after dark that nobody saw suddenly became a terror attack with 61 witnesses including the police!

Over the next few days over 50 masked Israeli soldiers with attack dogs stormed the local village of Hares in the early hours of the morning and in waves of violent arrests kidnapped the children of the village. In total 19 children were taken to the infamous G4S secured children’s dungeon at Al Jalame and locked up in solitary confinement for up to 2 weeks in filthy windowless 1m by 2m hole in the ground cells with no mattress. The Israeli prime minister Benyamin Natanyahu announced to the settlers that he had “caught the terrorists”. The children were violently tortured and sexual threats were made against the female members of their families in order to coerce confessions from the boys.

With the confessions and the new “eye-witness” statements, five of the Hares boys were charged with 25 counts of attempted murder each, even though there were only four people in the car. Apparently the military court had decided that 25 stones were thrown, each with an “intent to kill”. The five boys have been illegally transferred to Israel, in contravention of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to Megiddo prison where G4S provides the entire central command room. Hewlett Packard provides technical services and central servers that keep Israels dungeons and torture dens, including Megiddo, operational.

In violation of international law Israel has turned prisons in to money making enterprises with the boys essentially forced to pay for their own imprisonment. Israel deliberately fails to provide Palestinian prisoners the basic essentials – edible food, cloths (underwear, shoes..) and hygiene products (soap, toothbrush..). The boys are forced to buy these at the extortionately priced prison shop costing the families over € 125/month to provide for one child’s basic needs in prison.

With no evidence of a crime the military court keeps on postponing the hearing dates from one month to one year to two years, meanwhile the boys remain caged indefinitely and their families facing financial ruin in the process. A court hearing entails the families spending most of their day queuing and enduring the humiliation at the checkpoints where HP provides the biometric systems used to tag Palestinians, then waiting at the court in anticipation of catching a glimpse of their son.. often to be disappointed as hearing are cancelled without notice.

The United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF report on Children in Israeli Military Detention concludes that Israel is the only country in the world where children are systematically tried in military courts that by definition fall short of providing the necessary guarantees to ensure respect for their rights. The conviction rate in Israeli military courts is an unfathomable 99.74%.

If the five boys are convicted they will be locked up for over 25 years – five young lives ruined with no evidence of a crime let alone their guilt.

Unfortunately the case of the five Hares Boys is not an isolated incident, last year Israel abducted 1266 Palestinian children – that’s one child taken from their parents every 7 hours! During interrogation 75% of Palestinian children detained by Israel are physically tortured. 40% of the 600 children that were taken from Jerusalem alone, were sexually abused by Israeli soldiers during arrest or interrogation.

G4S provides the security systems, and Hewlett Packard the IT infrastructure, which keep these torture dens operational. Prisoners who have survived these hell holes recall seeing G4S logos on the cameras that witnessed their abuse. These companies are fully complicit in the crimes Israel commits against Palestinian children, and must be held to account.

PROTEST TO FREE LINA KHATTAB AND FREE KHALED SHEIKH #IsraeliApartheidWeek

On 27th February as part of Israeli Apartheid Week 2015, we protested outside the headquarters of British security company G4S, as we demand the immediate release of 15 years old Palestinian school boy Khaled al-Sheikh and 18 years old Palestinian journalist student Lina Khattab, both caged in G4S secured Israeli dungeons at Ofer and HaSharon.

Video – London Protest to Free 15yrs old Palestinian schoolboy Khaled Sheikh, 27 Feb 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqXW4wWJ4Ww&list=UUL-_3JtDktNRc8JU5CUIXDg

Video – London Protest to Free Palestinian journalism student Lina Khattab, 27 Feb 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq8klYI7ZzQ&list=UUL-_3JtDktNRc8JU5CUIXDg

March 13, NYC: Action to #FreeHaresBoys and #StopG4S

9 March 2015

Action to Free the Hares Boys and Stop G4S!
Friday, March 13
2:00 PM
Bryant Park, 5th Avenue, NYC
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/418073998352966/

Action part of #IsraeliApartheidWeek NYC and Global Days of Action for the Hares Boys

Mohammad Suleiman, Ammar Souf, Mohammed Kleib, Tamer Souf and Ali Shamlawi are being held in Israeli prison charged with 20 counts of attempted murder each for alleged stone-throwing, with no evidence whatsoever.

The boys have been labelled as “terrorists” before any objective investigation even took place. They’ve been condemned in the Israeli media as guilty even before they “confessed,” under torture, to stone-throwing. They’ve been denied any sort of justice in the Israeli military court system that convicts Palestinian children at a 99.7% rate, not unlike that of the world’s worst totalitarian regimes of the 20th century.

Join us during Israeli Apartheid Week NYC 2015 as we take direct action to free the Hares Boys, on the second anniversary of their 2013 detentions, and to stop G4S. G4S is a British private security company that plays a key role in Israel’s apartheid system, providing security services and equipment to Israeli prisons, checkpoints, the Apartheid Wall and the Israeli military and police.

In 2007, G4S signed a contract with the Israeli Prison Authority to run and provide security services for Israeli prisons where Palestinian political prisoners, including children, are held without trial and subjected to torture. G4S is an accomplice in Israel’s use of mass incarceration as a way to dissuade Palestinians from resisting its apartheid system.

Meet us by the statue of Benito Juarez at the west end of Bryant Park. We gather, then go.

Sources: Free the Hares Boys (https://haresboys.wordpress.com/about), Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement (http://www.bdsmovement.net/activecamps/g4s)

#FreeHaresBoys and #StopG4S

February 26, Chicago: A Woman’s Intifada – The Story of Rasmea Odeh

25 February 2015

A Woman’s Intifada: The Story of Rasmea Odeh
Thursday, February 26
6:30 pm
Loyola University Chicago – Damen MPR North
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1396594390649928/

Nesreen Hasan, an integral member of Rasmea Odeh’s defense committee, will be joining the Middle Eastern Student Association at Loyola University Chicago on Thursday, February 26 at 6:30 pm to discuss the trial of Rasmea Odeh, and overall FBI repression on the Arab community in Chicago.

The event is located at Loyola’s Damen Student Center 6511 N Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL in the Multi-Purpose Room, which is located on the second floor.
———-

Rasmea Odeh is a 67-year-old Palestinian community leader who has worked with the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) on the southside of Chicago since 2004. Rasmea is currently the associate director of the AAAN. She also established the Arab Women’s Committee that has helped hundreds of immigrant women assimilate into the United States. She is a strong beloved leader in her community and has been an icon in Arab-American history in Chicago.

On October 22nd, 2013, Rasmea was arrested on charges of falsifying immigration information. She was indicted in federal court that same morning, charged with Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization, an allegation based on answers she gave on a 20-year-old immigration application. In particular, she was charged because she answered “no” when asked if she had ever been arrested or convicted.

Rasmea was arrested by the Israeli government for a crime that she did not commit. Rasmea was arrested during a mass arrest of hundreds of Palestinians. She was forced to confess to this allegation after enduring 25 days of rape and torture at an Israeli interrogation center. Rasmea was put on trial in an Israeli military court, in which the conviction rate for Palestinians is over 99%. Despite her lifetime prison sentence, she was released after ten years in a prisoner exchange. Rasmea eventually moved to the US and became an active citizen and member of the community. Many years later, Rasmea was put on trial once again in a Detroit federal court.

In November of 2014, Rasmea was found guilty by a jury in Detroit of her immigration charge. Rasmea was portrayed to the jury by the prosecution as a terrorist. Rasmea’s conviction in 1969 was discussed, but evidence and discussion of her rape and torture experience was not allowed in court. 90% of the defense’s case was not allowed to be presented because of the judge’s decision.

After Rasmea was found guilty, she was immediately arrested and imprisoned, including time in solitary confinement, before being released in December on a $50,000 cash bond.

February 20, Paris: Support Alain Pojolat, on trial for international solidarity

19 February 2015

Protest in solidarity with Alain Pojolat
Friday, February 20
1:00 PM
Fontaine Saint-Michel, Place Saint-Michel
Paris
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/652024724921003/
Alain Pojolat is facing trial – on appeal – accused of calling “prohibited” demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinian people and against the Zionist crimes in Gaza, demonstrations that were banned by the French state and local authorities as they sought to suppress pro-Palestinian protests. Pojolat was acquitted and cleared of the charges last October, but the state prosecution has appealed the case.

The protest will stand in support of Pojolat, and also of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, whose judgement on his latest parole application will be released on February 26.

Court denies motions from Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh

18 February 2015

Rasmea Defense Committee

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, February 16, 2015

CONTACT: Hatem Abudayyeh, National Spokesperson, Rasmea Defense Committee
773.301.4108, hatem85@yahoo.com

Supporters mobilize for March 12 sentencing in Detroit

Chicago’s 67-year-old Palestinian community leader, Rasmea Odeh, is set to appear in a Detroit federal court for sentencing on March 12, following her conviction on a single charge of Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization. Three days ago, Judge Gershwin Drain issued an order denying two motions by Odeh’s defense team. One motion called for a new trial because of a number of legal errors in the court’s rulings in her November trial; another called for the judge to set aside the jury’s decision altogether.

“Since both defense motions challenged how Drain conducted the trial, it came as no surprise when he ruled against Rasmea, and in support of his own decisions,” said Hatem Abudayyeh of the Rasmea Defense Committee. “We know that the conviction was a travesty of justice, and that Judge Drain’s rulings made it impossible for the jury to give Rasmea a fair shake. She survived brutal torture by the Israelis, but the jury never got to hear that.”

Odeh’s attorneys are asking Drain to take her age and poor health into consideration and be lenient in his sentencing, but also plan to appeal her conviction, so will request the granting of an appeal bond no matter the sentence, which could be up to 10 years in prison, heavy fines, and deportation.

Unfazed by this latest ruling, the defense committee is redoubling efforts to win justice. Communities across the country are organizing protests, fundraisers, and several events with Rasmea speaking via live stream. A national week of action mobilized hundreds of supporters, with further actions planned for the coming week in at least 7 more cities.

“We will not give up in our defense and support of Rasmea as she moves forward to challenge this unjust conviction. She was prosecuted by the U.S. government because she is Palestinian, and because for decades, she has organized for Palestinian liberation and self-determination,” said Jess Sundin of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. “We are already making transportation and housing plans to ensure that we fill Judge Drain’s court room in Detroit on March 12, and hopefully an overflow room as well. Hundreds stood with Rasmea during her trial, and we’re prepared to stand with her again and again until justice is won.”

For more information and background on Rasmea Odeh’s case, go to http://justice4rasmea.org.

The national Rasmea Defense Committee is led by United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN),Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), and Coalition to Protect People’s Rights (CPPR); and includes 8th Day Center for Justice, Al-Awda NY: the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)-Chicago, ADC National, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), ANSWER Coalition, Anti-War Committee (AWC)-Chicago, AWC-Minneapolis, Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, Arab Resource and Organizing Center, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Chicago Light Brigade, Committee Against Political Repression, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Chicago, CAIR-Michigan, Friends of Sabeel-North America, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, International League of Peoples’ Struggle-U.S.,Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (KRCC), Latino Organization of the Southwest (LOS), Lifta Society, Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice (MECAWI), Middle East Crisis Committee (CT), Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition, National Boricua Human Rights Network, National Lawyers Guild (NLG), National Students for Justice in Palestine, Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago, Palestine Solidarity Legal Support, Palestinian Youth Movement-USA Branch, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network,St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, United African Organization, United National Antiwar Coalition, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Voces de la Frontera, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), and Z Collective.

February 20, London: 2 year protest on anniversary of Arafat Jaradat killing

18 February 2015

WE WILL NOT FORGET – 2 YEARS ANNIV OF ARAFAT JARADAT TORTURED TO DEATH IN G4S SECURED ISRAELI DUNGEON

DATE: Friday 20th Feb 2015, 2-4pm
LOCATION: G4S HQ, 105 Victoria Street, London (near Victoria Station)
FACEBOOK EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/536703386469578
Organized by, www.inminds.com

Please join us this friday 20th February outside the headquarters of British security contractor G4S as we mark the second anniversary of the torturing to death of young Palestinian father Arafat Jaradat, in Israel’s G4S secured Megiddo prison. Arafat was murdered 2 years ago, yet no one has been charged with his murder and we have not heard one word of regret or sorrow from G4S for its role in his murder. For G4S, Arafat Jaradat’s life is of no consequence as it does not register in their profit column. Arafat Jaradat’s murder isn’t an isolated incident, since 1967, 72 Palestinian prisoners have been tortured to death in Israeli prisons. Last September Palestinian father of five young children, Raed Abdul-Salam al-Jabari was tortured to death in Eshel prison following a months interrogation at Israel’s G4S secured Ofer prison. Join us on friday as we demand justice for Arafat Jaradat, Raed Adbul-Salam al-Jabari and all Palestinian prisoners tortured to death in Israeli prisons.

Please note the protest is at 2pm, an hour earlier then our usual time, thank you.

ARAFAT JARADAT – BACKGROUND

Arafat Jaradat, 30 year old Palestinian father of 2 children aged 4 and 2 years old, married with a pregnant wife, died on Saturday 23rd Feb 2013 after being savagely tortured for 5 days by Israel’s secret police Shin Bet. He had been arrested on suspicion of just throwing a stone.. 5 days later he was dead.

At his last military hearing on 22nd Feb Arafat pleaded that he didn’t want to go back to his cell, because he was being brutally tortured. He had severe pain in his back and all over his body due to the beatings and being hung for many hours during interrogation. The judge was dismissive and the torture continued. Arafat died the next day.

Shin Bet claimed he had died of a heart attack but the autopsy carried out at the National Israeli Forensic Medicine Center showed no sign of heart failure or any other illness, but revealed broken bones and found his whole body was covered in “strong and excessive bruising”.. “under the skin inside the muscle and along the spine at the bottom of the neck deep inside the tissue”. The autopsy determined the cause of death : “nervous shock as a result of extreme pain from the intensity of the injuries, which resulted from multiple direct and extensive acts of torture”.

It was revealed that an Israeli doctor was involved in Arafat’s torture who had given the green light for further torture. Shin Bet routinely tortures Palestinians with impunity, some 700 cases of torture have been lodged against them yet not a single one has lead to a criminal investigation. Since 2008 the Shin Bet has been exempt from having to videotape interrogations of “security detainees” – ie the 5,000+ Palestinian political prisoners it holds, with the official excuse being ‘budgetary limitations’. In the meantime 72 Palestinian prisoners have been murdered by torture in Israeli prisons since 1967.

Arafat died in Megiddo Prison following interrogation at the notorious al-Jalame interrogation centre infamous for its abuse of child prisoners. The British-Danish security firm G4S is complicit in Israel’s torture and murder of Palestinian prisoners by helping Israel secure both these prisons. At Megiddo the whole central command room is provided by G4S as are the security systems at Al Jalame. The transfer of Palestinians from the West Bank to these prisons in Israel is in contravention of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Short video with voice-over of Arafat Jaradat’s wife Dalal describes what happened
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FY2RiQ819U

Video produced by prisoners rights group Addameer on G4S which includes interview with Arafat Jaradat’s wife Dalal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8u7yBhaUMI

RAED ABDUL-SALAM AL-JABARI – BACKGROUND

37 years old father of five young children, Raed Abdul-Salam al-Jabari, died on 9th Sept 2014 after being severely and repeatedly tortured by Israeli interrogators at Eshel prison.

Israel had claimed al-Jabari had “committed suicide by hanging himself” in his cell but the autopsy revealed clear signs of torture – Al-Jabari had suffered brain hemorrhage following repeated blows to the head and face. His neck showed no signs of hanging.

Al-Jabari was a car mechanic in Hebron when he was abducted by the occupation on 26th July 2014 following a car accident involving an illegal Israeli settler. After a month of interrogation at the G4S secured Ofer prison, Al-Jabari was to be released on bail until the prosecution appealed and his bail was revoked. He was then moved from Ofer prison to Eshel prison on 3rd September to undergo further interrogation, 6 days later he was dead.

Video – Protest demanding justice for Raed Abdul-Salam al-Jabari (19th Sept 2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_fKVyyTnZQ

VICTORY FOR MALAK AL-KHATIB

We are pleased to announce that 14 years old Palestinian schoolgirl Malak al-Khatib who was abducted by Israeli soldiers on her way home from school and caged in Israel’s notorious G4S secured HaSharon prison, has won her freedom! Following international outrage at her abduction and a wave of protests both in Palestine and outside, Israel finally relented and released her on friday 13th February. We would like to thank all those who participated in our protest in London on 30th January demanding her freedom.

Its interesting that initial bogus claims of Malak hurling rocks at military vehicles and trying to stab soldiers with a knife mysteriously vanished and the only “charge” presented at military court was of Malak “picking up a stone” – apparently even that is now a crime for a Palestinian to do.

We should remember that last year Israel abducted 1266 Palestinian children – that’s one child taken from their parents every 7 hours, so the struggle continues for the hundreds of children still caged by Israel. This includes 15 years old Khaled Sheikh who was abducted on Christmas Eve and is being caged at Ofer prison and desperately needs urgent medical care. Also the five Hares Boys whose second anniversary of unjust imprisonment is next month. Please join us when we mark that sad occasion.

Video from our 30th Jan protest demanding freedom for Malak Al-Khatib
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ1URe5MBck

Interview with Malak Al-Khatib after her release
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_7_-dP_vrc

Report: Lina Khattab sentenced to six months in Israeli prison

16 February 2015

Lina Khattab, Palestinian student at Bir Zeit University and folkloric dancer with El Funoun, was sentenced by an Israeli military court at Ofer to six months imprisonment on Monday, 16 February after it convicted her on charges of “throwing stones” and “participating in an unlawful demonstration.” She was also sentenced to a 6000 NIS ($1500 USD) fine and three years probation.

Sahar Francis, executive director of Addameer, earlier told the Electronic Intifada that “they treated Lina as if she is so dangerous, such a serious security threat — this is what makes us believe that they are using her case in order to frighten students from being involved in activism.”

Samidoun will provide updates and actions to continue the demand to free Lina immediately and unconditionally. Please continue to take action and demand Lina’s immediate release.

New Video: Free Lina Khattab!

16 February 2015

People around the world are expressing their support and solidarity for Lina Khattab, who is facing a hearing before Israeli military court today, February 16. This video includes photos and solidarity images calling for Lina’s freedom from around the world, submitted to the facebook page for the campaign to free Lina at http://facebook.com/FreeLina. Please share this video widely.

Electronic Intifada published an article on Lina’s case by Samidoun coordinator Charlotte Kates: http://electronicintifada.net/content/young-dancer-jailed-israel-taking-part-protest/14269

The article quotes Samira Shaladeh, Lina’s mother:

“I urge the solidarity organizations, those around the world who defend the rights of the Palestinian people, to raise the slogan of freedom for the student Lina Khattab and all imprisoned Palestinian students. She has the right to study media, like every other student at Birzeit University. We are struggling for Lina’s right to her freedom, to re-enter school and live her life like youth around the world,” said Shaladeh.

“Lina dreams of a free Palestine, free from all forms of violence and oppression,” Shaladeh added. “She is a voice of truth and dignity in this unjust world.”

Take action for Lina Khattab! Share the Call to Action here.

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