Ongoing Crackdown on Palestinian Human Rights Defenders
On 12 March 2018, the Ofer Military court sentenced Munther Amira to six months imprisonment and 5 years probation.
On 21 February 2018, Ofer Military court extended the detention of human rights defender Munther Amira until 12 March 2018.
On 1 February 2018, an appeal against the release of Munther Amira was accepted by the military judge at the Military Court of Appeals at Ofer Military Court. The human rights defender will be remanded in custody until the end of trial proceedings which are due to start on 21 February 2018.
On 16 January 2018, Ofer Military Court extended the detention of human rights defender Munther Amira until 22 January 2018. On 9 January 2018, Ofer military court extended the detention of human rights defender Munther Amira until 16 January 2018, with the prosecution filing twelve charges in relation to the human rights defenders' participation in peaceful protests.
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.
Munther Amira is the Coordinator of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee (PSCC). The PSCC facilitates communication between, and helps to strengthen, the different popular committees in Palestinian villages who struggle against what they call the 'apartheid wall', or ‘security fence’, as it is known to Israelis, and suffer human rights violations under the Israeli occupation.
The Israeli Ofer Military court handed down a 6 month jail sentence and 5 years' probation to Palestinian HRD Munther Amira, convicting him on four charges relating to his participation in demonstrations, including “participating in a march without a permit”.
Munther Amira is the Coordinator of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee (PSCC). The PSCC facilitates communication between, and helps to strengthen, the various popular committees in Palestinian villages under Israeli occupation and who struggle against the Israeli Wall deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice advisory decision in 2004.
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 26 February, Israeli forces arrested 10 members of the Tamimi family during a night raid and on 21 February 2018, Ofer Military court extended the detention of human rights defender Munther Amira until 12 March 2018.
Munther Amira is the Coordinator of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee (PSCC). The PSCC facilitates communication between, and helps to strengthen, the various popular committees in Palestinian villages under Israeli occupation and who struggle against the Israeli Wall deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice advisory decision in 2004.
On 26 February 2018, Israeli forces arrested 10 members of the Tamimi family during a night raid, including 15-year-old Muhammad Tamimi, who was shot in the face during protests in Nabi Saleh against the decision of the US administration to move its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem in December 2017. The 15-year-old was shot just hours prior to an altercation between Israeli soldiers and his cousin, Ahed Tamimi, who was then arrested the following day in a pre-dawn raid.
On 21 February 2018, Ofer Military court extended the detention of Munther Amira until 12 March 2018. The human rights defender was arrested for his peaceful participation in a protest. The Military Court has a 99.74 conviction rate.
The detentions of Ahed Tamimi and Nariman Tamimi have been extended at the request of military prosecutors.
Front Line Defenders condemns the ongoing detention of human rights defenders by Israeli forces and the continued arrests of non-violent protesters.
Update: On 1 February 2018, an appeal against the release of Munther Amira was accepted by the military judge at the Military Court of Appeals at Ofer Military Court. The human rights defender will be remanded in custody until the end of trial proceedings which are due to start on 21 February 2018.
Update: On 16 January 2018, Ofer Military Court extended the detention of human rights defender Munther Amira until 22 January 2018.
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.
