Israel jails Ahed Tamimi for eight months

March 22, 2018
Issue 
Ahed Tamimi was arrested at her home in the occupied West Bank village of Nabi Saleh on December 19.

An Israeli military court has听听补听听which will see Palestinian teenager听听serve an eight-month prison sentence on top of a fine of nearly $1,500.

Ahed, who turned 17 in January, was听听with assaulting soldiers and incitement after a听听recorded by her mother听听circulated, showing Ahed and her cousin听听slapping and shoving two heavily armed Israeli soldiers on 15 December.

Ahed was听听at her home in the occupied West Bank village of听听on 19 December.

Nour and Nariman were also听听and have been听to time served 鈥 16 days in prison 鈥 and eight months in prison, respectively, after accepting plea deals.

鈥淪omething shameful鈥

The military court dropped several of its initial charges against Ahed, for which she faced up to 10 years in prison,听听to the prisoners solidarity group听.

An Israeli military court听听on Sunday that proceedings in Ahed鈥檚 case were to be held behind closed doors, rejecting her appeal for a public trial on the basis that it was for 鈥渢he minor鈥檚 benefit.鈥

鈥淚t seems like it finally dawned on them that there鈥檚 something shameful about the proceedings against [Ahed], and that it is better to hold a secret trial rather than make public this legal farce,鈥 Ahed鈥檚 lawyer Gaby Lasky told The Electronic Intifada prior to the ruling.

Israel鈥檚 military courts deny basic due process rights and听听for Palestinians.

Concerned by these abuses,听听of US Congress are听听to bar Israel from using American aid for the imprisonment and abuse of Palestinian children like Ahed Tamimi.

There are currently more than 300 Palestinian children in Israeli military detention.

Revenge campaign

Ahed鈥檚 viral videotaped confrontation with the soldiers occurred outside her home hours after Israeli soldiers听听her 15-year-old cousin听.

Muhammad was also听听by Israeli soldiers on 26 January along with several other members of the Tamimi family, most of them children. Muhammad was released after being interrogated.

The Tamimi family is known for its听听to Israel鈥檚 encroachment on their village of Nabi Saleh.

Ahed鈥檚 arrest made听听and rallied global support for her freedom, causing major embarassment for Israel.

Israeli officials made bizarre and absurd claims about her family, with deputy minister Michael Oren听that the Tamimis were a group of 鈥溾 actors hired to 鈥渕ake Israel look bad.鈥

Yoav Mordechai, the general who oversees COGAT, the bureaucratic arm of Israel鈥檚 military occupation, claimed that the injury to Muhammad Tamimi鈥檚 head was caused not by an Israeli soldier鈥檚 bullet, but by the child falling off his bike 鈥 an听听by journalists and human rights defenders.

Discrimination

While Ahed Tamimi was sentenced to eight months for slapping and shoving occupation soldiers, Israeli army medic听听will be released from prison in May after serving only nine months for听听a prone Palestinian who lay incapacitated on a Hebron street.

Azarya鈥檚 18-month sentence was听听to 14 months in September. This week a military parole board听听Azarya鈥檚 release after serving two-thirds of his sentence.

An Israeli military court had ruled that Azarya鈥檚 act was听.

The chief prosecutor in the case stated Azarya has shown no remorse and taken no responsibility for his actions but poses no danger to the public,听听迟辞听Haaretz.

Meanwhile, David Muial was听听on Wednesday after participating in the听听听in October 2015.

Zarhum, 29, was severely beaten and shot to death by a mob of Israeli soldiers, prison officers and police after they mistook him for the gunman who had opened fire moments earlier at the central bus station in Beer Sheva, a city in southern Israel.

Israel听听to recognize Zarhum as a 鈥渢error victim鈥 on grounds that he had entered Israel illegally, preventing his family from claiming compensation.

[Reposted from .]

Like the article?听Subscribe听to 91自拍论坛 now! You can also听听us on Facebook and听听on Twitter.

You need 91自拍论坛, and we need you!

91自拍论坛 is funded by contributions from readers and supporters. Help us reach our funding target.

Make a One-off Donation or choose from one of our Monthly Donation options.

Become a supporter to get the digital edition for $5 per month or the print edition for $10 per month. One-time payment options are available.

You can also call 1800 634 206 to make a donation or to become a supporter. Thank you.