Tag: unarmed struggle

13 year old Ah’d Tamimi awarded Hanzala prize for Courage in Turkey

28 December 2012: Times Magazine, Turkey

palestinian-girl-gets-courage-award

Palestinian girl gets courage award

Ahed Tamimi who challenged the Israeli soldiers that had arrested her brother was awarded with ‘Handala Courage Award’.
27 Aralık 2012 Perşembe – 11:18

Palestinian girl Ahed Tamimi who challenged the Israeli soldiers that had arrested her brother was awarded with “Handala Courage Award” in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Visiting Turkey as being the guest of Basaksehir Municipality of Istanbul, 13-year-old Tamimi attended a series of events ahead of the award ceremony and opened an art exhibition titled “Being children in Palestine”.

She thanked Turkish children for welcoming her as she was one of them, and called on the Palestinian children to stand tall, at the ceremony.

Tamimi said she was proud to get the Handala award which would enhance her strength. She said she showed her fist to the soldier and thought she could make Palestine free.

Answering questions of AA correspondent, Tamimi said she would like to be a lawyer in order to contribute to the Palestinian issue.

Handala Courage Award, handed out by the Basaksehir Municipality, was named after the cartoon character Handala created by Palestinian cartoonist Naji Salim al-Ali noted for the political criticism of the Arab regimes and Israel in his works.

Handala, a 10-year-old boy, became an icon of Palestinian identity and defiance. (aa)

Ramadan in Nabi Saleh: Military raid village 5 days in a row, fire live ammunition and search houses

by Popular Struggle Coordination Committee: July 29, 2012

Video by Tamimi Press – 26 July 2012

Press Release:

In the last five days in row, Israeli army has been raiding Nabi Saleh every evening just before Iftar. Yesterday, large force of military raided the village, clashed with the residents while shooting live ammunition, searching houses and assaulting residents.

Large military force raided yesterday evening the village of Nabi Saleh and clashed with citizens while shooting live ammunition. This is the fifth day in row, the army raids the village just before the Ramadan meal to break the fast (Iftar).

The soldiers raided several houses without warrants, terrorized families and children, who were preparing to break their fast. Soldiers also beat residents, including 9 years old child.

Another young man who was visiting one of the village’s houses, was beaten brutally by the soldiers and subsequently hospitalized, while suffering from internal bleeding. In addition soldiers shot large amounts of tear gas canisters and sound bombs.

Abd Alrazeq Tamimi (father of martyr Mustafa Tamimi who was shot dead last year in Nabi Saleh), who suffers from kidney failure, fainted after inhaling tear gas shot by soldiers to his house,and was taken to Salfit hospital.

Background:

Background Late in 2009, settlers began gradually taking over Ein al-Qaws (the Bow Spring), which rests on lands belonging to Bashir Tamimi, the head of the Nabi Saleh village council. The settlers, abetted by the army, erected a shed over the spring, renamed it Maayan Meir, after a late settler, and began driving away Palestinians who came to use the spring by force – at times throwing stones or even pointing guns at them, threatening to shoot.

While residents of Nabi Saleh have already endured decades of continuous land grab and expulsion to allowfor the ever continuing expansion of the Halamish settlement, the takeover of the spring served as the last straw that lead to the beginning of the village’s grassroots protest campaign of weekly demonstrations in demand for the return of their lands.

Protest in the tiny village enjoys the regular support of Palestinians from surrounding areas, as well as that of Israeli and international activists. Demonstrations in Nabi Saleh are also unique in the level of women participation in them, and the role they hold in all their aspects, including organizing. Such participation, which often also includes the participation of children reflects the village’s commitment to a truly popular grassroots mobilization, encompassing all segments of the community.

The response of the Israeli military to the protests has been especially brutal and includes regularly laying complete siege on village every Friday, accompanied by the declaration of the entire village, including the built up area, as a closed military zone. Prior and during the demonstrations themselves, the army often completely occupies the village, in effect enforcing an undeclared curfew. Military nighttime raids and arrest operations are also a common tactic in the army’s strategy of intimidation, often targeting minors.

In order to prevent the villagers and their supporters from exercising their fundamental right to demonstrateand march to their lands, soldiers regularly use disproportional force against the unarmed protesters. The means utilized by the army to hinder demonstrations include, but are not limited to, the use of tear-gas projectiles, banned high-velocity tear-gas projectiles, rubber-coated bullets and, at times, even live ammunition. The use of banned 0.22″ munitions by snipers has also been recorded in Nabi Saleh.

The use of such practices have already brought about the death of Mustafa Tamimi and caused countless injuries, several of them serious, including those of children – the most serious of which is that of 14 year-old Ehab Barghouthi, who was shot in the head with a rubber-coated bullet from short range on March 5th, 2010and laid comatose in the hospital for three weeks. Due to the wide-spread nature of the disproportionate use of force, the phenomenon cannot be attributed to the behavior of individual soldiers, and should be viewed as the execution of policy.

Tear-gas, as well as a foul liquid called “The Skunk”, which is shot from a water cannon, is often used inside the built up area of the village, or even directly pointed into houses, in a way that allows no refuge for the uninvolved residents of the village, including children and the elderly. The interior of at least one house caught fire and was severely damaged after soldiers shot a tear-gas projectile through its windows.

Since December 2009, when protest in the village was sparked, hundreds of demonstration-related injuries caused by disproportionate military violence have been recorded in Nabi Saleh.

Between January 2010 and June 2012, the Israeli Army has carried 98 arrests of people detained for 24 hours or more on suspicions related to protest in the village of Nabi Saleh, including those of women and of children as young as 11 years old. Of the 98, 31 were minors. Dozens more were detained for shorter periods. Two of the village’s protest leaders – Bassem and Naji Tamimi – arrested on protest-organizing related charges, were recognized bythe European Union as human rights defenders. Bassem Tamimi was also declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.

Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, recently denounced his conviction by an Israeli military court and Human Rights Watch warned that he did not receive a fair trial.

15 injured by Israeli Occupation Forces during demonstration in Nabi Saleh

By Popular Struggle Coordination Committee: 15 June 2012

Dr. Layla Ghannam, the Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh and the first female Governor in Palestine joined the protest in the small hilltop village. 15 protesters were injured as the army violently dispersed the peaceful march.

Volleys of tear-gas shot during Nabi Saleh demo. In the background, the settlement of Halamish

Photo: Volleys of tear-gas shot during Nabi Saleh demo. In the background, the settlement of Halamish

 With popular protest throughout Palestine gaining momentum, especially concerning the pressing matter of political prisoners, villages like Nabi Saleh serve as a symbol of resilience and persistence. Public representatives and journalists from all major Palestinian media outlets came to the village today to join and witness the weekly demonstration, most notably Dr. Layla Ghannam, the Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh and the first female Governor in Palestine.The demonstration started from the center of the village shortly after the Friday prayer. Protesters marched towards the main road of the village, only to be met with extensive shooting of tear-gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets.  Fifteen protesters were injured during this unwarranted assault and most of them were treated in the field. Clashes maintained for a few hours, following which the army retreated. No arrests were reported.

Background:  Nabi Saleh is a small village of approximately 550 people, twenty kilometres north west of Ramallah in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Israeli colony of Halamish (also known as Neveh Tzuf ) was established on lands belonging to the villages of An Nabi Saleh and Deir Nidham in 1976.   In response to the illegal colony being established on their land, the residents of An Nabi Saleh and Deir Nidham began holding demonstrations in opposition to the stealing of their land and the establishment of the colony (whose establishment violates international law).    The residents of An Nabi Saleh and Deir Nidham  lodged a court case against the colony in Israel’s high court, but were unable to stop the construction the illegal settlement.

Since its establishment in 1977, Halamish colony has continued to expand and steal more Palestinian land.   In 2008, the residents of An Nabi Saleh challenged the building of a fence by the colony on private Palestinian land and which prevented Palestinians from accessing their land.  The Israeli courts ruled that the fence was to be dismantled  Despite the Israeli court ruling, the colony continued to illegally annex more Palestinian land.  In the summer of 2008, the Israeli colonists from Halamish seized control of a number springs, all of which were located on private Palestinian land belonging to residents of An Nabi Saleh. In December 2009, the village began weekly non-violent demonstrations in opposition to the illegal Israeli colony of Halamish annexing of the  fresh water springs and stealing of more of the village’s land.  Since An Nabi Saleh began its demonstrations, the Israeli military has brutally sought to repress the non-violent protests, arresting more than 13% of the village, including children.    In total, as of 31 March 2011, 64 village residents have been arrested.  All but three were tried for participating in the non-violent demonstrations.  Of those imprisoned, 29 have been minors under the age of 18 years and 4 have been women.

Protesters march in Nabi Saleh in memory of Palestinian martyrs killed during the struggle for a free Palestine

by Popular Struggle Coordination Committee: 7 January 2012

Following the recent murder of Mustafa Tamimi and the employment of live sniper-fire against demonstrators last week, protesters dedicated this week’s march to the memory of those who have passed in struggle.

Protesters marched from the center of the village towards village’s lands today, under the slogan “Martyrs are not number”, commemorating the struggle’s martyrs and their sacrifices. As the procession advanced down the road, it was greeted by a barrage of tear-gas projectiles, many of them shot directly at the protesters, by the Israeli Border Police officers who took positions on the village’s main road intent on stifling the march. The demonstrators were also hosed with rancid water shot from a high pressure water-cannon, which Israel euphemistically refers to  as “The Skunk”, as well as rubber-coated bullets.

Picture Credit: Oren Ziv/Activestills
Picture Credit: Oren Ziv/Activestills

As it proved impossible to advance on the road, some protesters set on reaching village’s lands tried to skirt the soldiers by descending towards the village’s spring that settlers are trying to take over from the hill on the western side of the village. While some succeeded in reaching quite close to the spring, they were met by the same brutality protesters faced on the main road, and were eventually forced to retreat. No serious injuries or arrests were recorded.
Picture Credit: Oren Ziv/Activestills
Picture Credit: Oren Ziv/Activestills

Background
Late in 2009, settlers began gradually taking over Ein al-Qaws (the Bow Spring), which rests on lands belonging to Bashir Tamimi, the head of the Nabi Saleh village council. The settlers, abetted by the army, erected a shed over the spring, renamed it Maayan Meir, after a late settler, and began driving away Palestinians who came to use the spring by force – at times throwing stones or even pointing guns at them, threatening to shoot.

While residents of Nabi Saleh have already endured decades of continuous land grab and expulsion to allow for the ever continuing expansion of the Halamish settlement, the takeover of the spring served as the last straw that lead to the beginning of the village’s grassroots protest campaign of weekly demonstrations in demand for the return of their lands.

Protest in the tiny village enjoys the regular support of Palestinians from surrounding areas, as well as that of Israeli and international activists. Demonstrations in Nabi Saleh are also unique in the level of women participation in them, and the role they hold in all their aspects, including organizing. Such participation, which often also includes the participation of children reflects the village’s commitment to a truly popular grassroots mobilization, encompassing all segments of the community.

The response of the Israeli military to the protests has been especially brutal and includes regularly laying complete siege on village every Friday, accompanied by the declaration of the entire village, including the built up area, as a closed military zone. Prior and during the demonstrations themselves, the army often completely occupies the village, in effect enforcing an undeclared curfew. Military nighttime raids and arrest operations are also a common tactic in the army’s strategy of intimidation, often targeting minors.

In order to prevent the villagers and their supporters from exercising their fundamental right to demonstrate and march to their lands, soldiers regularly use disproportional force against the unarmed protesters. The means utilized by the army to hinder demonstrations include, but are not limited to, the use of tear-gas projectiles, banned high-velocity tear-gas projectiles, rubber-coated bullets and, at times, even live ammunition. The use of banned 0.22″ munitions by snipers has also been recorded in Nabi Saleh.

The use of such practices have already brought about the death of Mustafa Tamimi and caused countless injuries, several of them serious, including those of children – the most serious of which is that of 14 year-old Ehab Barghouthi, who was shot in the head with a rubber-coated bullet from short range on March 5th, 2010 and laid comatose in the hospital for three weeks. Due to the wide-spread nature of the disproportionate use of force, the phenomenon cannot be attributed to the behavior of individual soldiers, and should be viewed as the execution of policy.

Tear-gas, as well as a foul liquid called “The Skunk”, which is shot from a water cannon, is often used inside the built up area of the village, or even directly pointed into houses, in a way that allows no refuge for the uninvolved residents of the village, including children and the elderly. The interior of at least one house caught fire and was severely damaged after soldiers shot a tear-gas projectile through its windows.

Since December 2009, when protest in the village was sparked, hundreds of demonstration-related injuries caused by disproportionate military violence have been recorded in Nabi Saleh.

Between January 2010 and June 2011, the Israeli Army has carried 76 arrests of people detained for 24 hours or more on suspicions related to protest in the village of Nabi Saleh, including those of women and of children as young as 11 years old. Of the 76, 18 were minors. Dozens more were detained for shorter periods

Bassem Tamimi’s Trial: Israeli Police Officer to Testify About Unlawful Interrogation of a Minor

By Popular Struggle Coordination Committee: 4 January 2012

Jalal Aweida, an Israeli police inspector, will testify about his involvement in the unlawful interrogation of a 14 year-old boy as part of the trial of Nabi Saleh protest organizer, Bassem Tamimi.

When: Sunday, January 8th, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Where: Ofer Military Court*
* Entry to the military court must be coordinated with the Israeli army’s spokesperson’s office in advance.

Following recent escalation in violence employed by Israeli forces towards protesters in Nabi Saleh, including the fatal shooting of Mustafa Tamimi and the use of live sniper-fire, the Israeli Military Prosecution will resume making its case against West Bank protest organizer from Nabi Saleh, Bassem Tamimi, this Sunday at the Ofer Military Court. A previous hearing saw another police interrogator admit to having systematically infringed on the rights of Palestinian minors.

Islam Tamimi

The hearing will include the testimony of Inspector Jalal Aweida of the Israeli Police. Inspector Aweida was one of the key interrogators of 14 year-old Islam Dar Ayyoub – Tamimi’s main incriminator. Aweida also served as one of the officers in charge of the broader investigation into the Nabi Saleh demonstrations.

In his interrogation the morning after his arrest, year-old Dar Ayyoub alleged that Bassem and Naji Tamimi organized groups of youth into “battalions”, assigned with different responsibilities during the demonstrations: some were allegedly in charge of stone-throwing, others of blocking roads, etc.

During a trial-within-a-trial procedure in Islam’s trial, motioning for his testimony to be ruled inadmissible, it was proven that his interrogation was fundamentally flawed and violated the rights set forth in the Israeli Youth Law in the following ways:

  1. Despite being a minor, he was questioned in the morning following his arrest, having been denied sleep.
  2. He was denied legal counsel, although his lawyer appeared at the police station requesting to see him.
  3. He was denied his right to have a parent present during his questioning.
  4. He was not informed of his right to remain silent, and was even told by his interrogators that he is “expected to tell the truth”.
  5. Only one of four interrogators present was a qualified youth interrogator.

The video recording of the boy’s interrogation also shows Aweida making threatening gestures towards him – that included Karate moves and punching his fist into his hand, mocking him, making sexual innuendo in regards to Islam and the female police officer who was in the room. The video also shows Islam bursting into tears halfway through the interrogation as well as nearly collapsing of tiredness.

Tamimi’s trial began more than nine months ago, which Tamimi has spent behind lock and key.

Continue reading “Bassem Tamimi’s Trial: Israeli Police Officer to Testify About Unlawful Interrogation of a Minor” →