Urgent Call For Action: Prisoners In Israel

There are more than 7000 political prisoners in Israel i jails; many are children and women. Their legal and human rights are being constantly violated. Please act and support this one prisoner and any others you know of.

CALL for SUPPORT for Abdallah Abu Rahmah

December 10, 2010 (Human Rights Day) will be the 1st anniversary of Abdallah´s imprisonment. He was taken from his bed in the early hours of the morning and has been held ever since in Ofer military prison in Israel – an enclosure of tents with few facilities where prisoners must pay to get food to prepare for themselves. A school teacher and farmer (his family have sold the farm to support him and themselves) Abdallah´s non – violent activism in Bil´in is the sole reason or his arrest. He is jail with Adeeb Abu Rahmah, also a Bil´in activist.

A message from a Bil´in activist & Bil’in 2010 conference chair : “As a member of the Popular Committee and its coordinator since it was formed in 2004, Abdallah has represented the village of Bil´in around the world. In June 2009, he attended the village´s precedent – legal case in Montreal against two Canadian companies illegally building settlements on Bil´in´s land; in December of 2008, he participated in a speaking tour in France, and on 10 December 2008, exactly a year before his arrest, Abdallah received the Carl Von Ossietzky Medal for Outstanding Service in the Realization of Basic Human Rights, awarded by the International League for Human Rights in Berlin.

And on October 11, 2010  Abdallah Abu Rahmah was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment today, for his involvement in his village's unarmed struggle against the wall. He was also sentenced to 6 months suspended sentence for 3 years and a fine of 5,000 NIS. In the sentencing, the judge cited the non-implementation of an Israeli High Court ruling which declared the current route of the wall on Bil’in’s land illegal as a mitigating factor. The military prosecution is likely to appeal this sentencing – as they did in the case of Adeeb Abu Rahmah, who was also sentenced for 12 months on similar charges but is still in prison after 15 months, pending the decision about the prosecution’s appeal. The defense attorney, adv. Gaby Lasky, is considering an appeal against Abu Rahma’s conviction.

 “The Israeli army, which served as prosecutor, judge and jury in this case, is trying to use Abu Rahmah to set an example that will deter people from protesting. They have even said so themselves”, said Mohammed Khatib of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. “Their message falls on deaf ears, as we have no choice but to continue struggling for our lands, our freedom and our dignity”, he added.

Please ask your Minister of Foreign Affairs to send an official inquiry to the Israeli government about Abdallah. Demand that your country apply pressure on Israeli officials to release Abdallah Abu Rahmah and stop targeting popular struggle.”

WRITE TO: Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, 3, Kaplan Street, PO Box 187, Kiryat Ben–Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel.    Fax: +972- 2-651 2631     Email: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il
Eli Yishai, Minister of the Interior, 2 Kaplan St., Qiryat Ben-Gurion, P.O. Box 6158, 91061 Jerusalem 
Tel. +972 (0)2 670 1411              +972 (0)2 670 1411