Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi persecuted in Israeli Gulag
Standing up to Israel’s terrorism and brutality, Ahed Tamimi and her family have been persecuted by Israel and are imprisoned in the Israeli Gulag Archipelago for publicizing Israel’s war crimes in the Occupied Territory. Pro-Israel extremists and the Israeli government have demonized the Tamimi’s who have been seeking to defend their rights in their own home and lands.
Here are two documents addressing Israel’s persecution of Ahed Tamimi, the 17 year old girl who is a “threat” to Israel’s Apartheid Government. Tamimi exposed Israel’s lies about the ethical treatment of Palestinians and challenged Israeli soldiers who injured and killed several of her civilian relatives and abused her family at her home.
The first is from a United Nation’s Human Rights expect, Michael Lynk. Lynk is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967.
The second is a firsthand account of the legal brutality against 17-year-old Ahed Tamimi by the Israel Gulag Court system which treats non-Jews (Christians and Muslims) differently than Jewish Israelis, documented by Amnesty International,, one of the world’s most reputable Human Rights and Civil Rights organizations.
Both the United Nations and Amnesty International have been the target of an Israeli campaign of demonization to libel their work championing human rights.
UN rights experts alarmed by detention of Palestinian girl for slapping Israeli soldier
UN human rights experts* have expressed alarm over the case of Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi who, after an incident in which she slapped an Israeli soldier, appeared before an Israeli military court today. The experts called for her release during the proceedings and that future hearings be held in strict accordance with international legal standards.
Tamimi, who is now 17 years old, has been held in detention since she was arrested at her home by Israeli soldiers on 19 December 2017. At the time, she was 16. Four days earlier, she was filmed physically confronting Israeli soldiers on her family’s property in Nabi Salah, in the occupied West Bank.
On 1 January 2018, Tamimi was charged with a number of offences under Israeli military law, some stemming from the 15 December incident, and others dating back to April 2016. The court has ruled that she should remain in detention until the end of her trial. Tuesday’s hearing was adjourned until early March.
“The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Israel has ratified, clearly states that children are to be deprived of their liberty only as a last resort, and only for the shortest appropriate period of time,” said Michael Lynk, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967.
“None of the facts of this case would appear to justify her ongoing detention prior to her trial, particularly given the concerns expressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child about the use of pre-trial detention and detention on remand.”
The experts said states were obliged to explore as far as possible alternatives to detention, and to ensure that children are dealt with in a manner appropriate to their well-being.
They noted that Tamimi was arrested in the middle of the night by well-armed soldiers, and then questioned by Israeli security officials without a lawyer or family members present. “This violates the fundamental legal guarantee to have access to counsel during interrogation,” said José Guevara, Chair of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The experts also expressed concern about her place of detention – Hasharon prison in Israel – in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention which states that the deportation of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the occupying power, or to that of any other country, is prohibited, regardless of the motive.
“Sadly, this is not an isolated case,” said Lynk. “Figures from Palestine show that Israel detains and prosecutes between 500 to 700 Palestinian children in military courts annually.
“We have received reports that these children are commonly mistreated while in detention, subjected to both physical and psychological abuse, deprived of access to lawyers or family members during interrogation, and tried under a military court system in which there are significant concerns regarding independence and impartiality, and which has a worryingly high conviction rate.” In this respect, the experts referred to various opinions on Israel adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention which have emphasized the right of children to be tried by a juvenile justice system rather than before military tribunals, in accordance with relevant international human rights law.
The experts called on the Israeli authorities to respect and ensure basic due process rights, with particular attention to the rights and protections afforded to children and re-emphasized their call for Tamimi to be released in accordance with these protections.
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*The UN experts: Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Proceduresof the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
UN Human Rights, Country Page: Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel
This year, 2018, is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The Universal Declaration – translated into a world record 500 languages – is rooted in the principle that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It remains relevant to everyone, every day. In honour of the 70th anniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to prevent its vital principles from being eroded, we are urging people everywhere to Stand Up for Human Rights: www.standup4humanrights.org.
Amnesty International report on the Tamimi harassment by Israel’s Gulag prison system
There are two major updates this morning. One is an update from one of the AI staffers from the East Jerusalem office who attended the hearing for Ahed, Nour and Nariman Tamimi which took place today. And the other update reports that AI has joined other human rights organizations in condemning the record low number of medical permits given by Israel to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.1) Update from member of team from East Jerusalem office who attended the hearing today: This is an update on Ahed, Nour and Nariman’s court hearing that took place today at the Ofer Military Court. The trials opened today with preliminary arguments by the defense that contested the legality of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory, and therefore the legal basis of the Military Court’s source of authority. Nearly two months after their arrests, the trials of Ahed, Nariman and Nour Tamimi from the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh opened today. In Ahed’s trial, the judge, Lt General Menahem Liberman, has ruled that the trial would be held behind closed doors in order to uphold her right to privacy as a minor. The ruling was given despite an objection by the defense lawyer, who asserted that Ahed waivers this right, as she believes that proceedings held in the public will serve to better protect her from the power of the court. The decision to close the hearing was rendered after the 17 year old was escorted handcuffed into a hall packed with media, supporters and members of the diplomatic community, including the German Head of Mission, Peter Beerwerth.During the hearing, in a petition to dismiss the case even before trial, the defense made a number of preliminary arguments, among them is the fact that Israeli rule of the Palestinian territory is an illegal occupation, a fact that renders the Military Court’s source of authority invalid. Furthermore, the defense raised the fact that Israeli authorities uphold two separate and unequal systems of law in the West Bank, one for Israeli settlers and another for Palestinians, on the basis of race, ethnicity, and national origin. It motioned that such conduct amounts to abuse of process, and should in and of itself lead to the acquittal of the defendants.The lawyer, Gaby Lasky, concluded the court hearing by reminding the court of its obligation under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and cited a UNICEF report, which concluded that “in no other country are children systematically tried by juvenile military courts that, by definition, fall short of providing the necessary guarantees to ensure respect for their rights”.The next court hearing, in which the defendants are expected to give statements responding to the indictment and enter a plea, will be held on 11 March at the Ofer Military Court.2) Amnesty International released a joint statement today with Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), and Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI). The joint statement highlights the record-low rate of permits issued by Israel for Palestinians seeking vital medical treatment outside Gaza underlines the urgent need for Israel to end its decade-long closure of the Gaza Strip. The World Health Organization reported that 54 Palestinians, 46 of whom had cancer, died in 2017 following denial or delay of their permits.You can find the joint statement here: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/7882/2018/en/
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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