Ongoing Crackdown on Palestinian Human Rights Defenders
On 27 and 28 December, Israeli soldiers arrested and detained human rights defenders Manal Tamimi, Jamil Al-Barghouti and Munther Amira in the West Bank for participating in peaceful protests in the Occupying Palestinian Territories (OPT) against the Israeli occupation, ongoing repression of Palestinian activists and the decision announced by US President, Donald Trump, to move the US Embassy Israel to Jerusalem.
Jamil Al-Barghouti is a human rights defender who struggles against the separation wall and illegal settlement expansion in the OPT.
On 27 and 28 December, Israeli soldiers arrested and detained human rights defenders Manal Tamimi, Jamil Al-Barghouti and Munther Amira in the West Bank for participating in peaceful protests in the Occupying Palestinian Territories (OPT) against the Israeli occupation, ongoing repression of Palestinian activists and the decision announced by US President, Donald Trump, to move the US Embassy Israel to Jerusalem.
Jamil Al-Barghouti is a human rights defender who struggles against the separation wall and illegal settlement expansion in the OPT. Manal Tamimi is a member of the The Popular Struggle Coordination Committee in the West Bank. She is based in Nabi Saleh village. Munther Amira is Coordinator of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee in the West Bank and is active in the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem.
On 27 December, Munther Amira was arrested from a protest in the West Bank, interrogated at Atarot police station and charged with ‘participating in an illegal protest’ and ‘throwing stones at Israeli forces’. He was then transferred to Ofer prison and will stand before Ofer Military Court on 31 December. On 28 December, Manal Tamimi and Jamil Al-Barghouti were arrested from a protest against the detention of human rights defender Ahed Al-Tamimi and her family members. Manal Tamimi was interrogated at Atarot police station. She was then transferred to HaSharon prison in Israel and her trial will begin on 1 January 2018. Jamil Al-Barghouti was interrogated at Atarot police station and transferred to Ofer prison and Ofer Military Court will examine his case on 1 January 2018. Both HRDs were charged with ‘taking part in an illegal protest’, ‘obstructing the work of the Israeli army’ and ‘attacking Israeli soldiers’.
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the detention and prosecution of Manal Tamimi, Jamil Al-Barghouti and Munther Amira and demands their immediate and unconditional release as they are being held solely as a result of their legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights.
