OVER 45 HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS DETAINED

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Wednesday August 06, 2003 03:29

by Dalton - Internatinal Women's Peace Service

One detainee from Ireland

Detainees are from: ISRAEL, U.S., U.K., ITALY, SWEDEN, FRANCE, DENMARK, JAPAN, IRELAND, GERMANY AND CANADA .
One Palestinian was charged with assault and a IWPS member is being held as well.

[Occupied West Bank] At approximately 7am this morning, Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights activists were detained while attempting to block the demolition of part of a Palestinian family's home, near the village of Mas'ha. The building had been slated for demolition by the Israeli Military because it lay in the path of the Apartheid Wall that Israel is building on occupied Palestinian land.

The international activists were from International Women's Peace Service and International Solidarity Movement. Israeli activists from many groups including Gush Shalom, Indymedia and Green Action have been actively supporting the struggle against the Wall construction at Mas'ha for the last four months. Most of you know that a peace camp was established in Mas'ha in April, on land belonging to the village which is being cut off by the Wall. Several days ago, in response to the threat to demolish the house of the Amer family, the camp was moved land adjacent to the family's house. On Monday, SHABAK (Israeli secret police) agents came and arrested the two Israeli activists who were staying in the camp; they were later released.

The peace activists detained this morning were violently thrown on busses by Israeli soldiers and border police. Two internationals were beaten; one, a US citizen from Los Angeles, was repeatedly kicked in the stomach and may have sustained broken ribs. Immediately, a Caterpillar bulldozer moved in to demolish part of the family home (an animal shed attached to the home).

Though it’s difficult to communicate with the detainees and we are unsure of the final numbers, the detainees we know of are from the following countries:

11 US, 1 Canada, 1 Japan, 6 UK, 1 Ireland, 4 Sweden, 1 Denmark, 8 Italy, 2 France, 5 Israel, 3 Palestine

Detainees are being held at Ariel Prison in the illegal settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank. One Palestinian and one Italian have been put under formal arrest. The others, the Israeli Ministry of Interior is currently deciding what they want to do with. One option is for them to deport the internationals.

A hearing is now being held to decide whether to hold the internationals for deportation proceedings.

Please flood the Ministry of Interior with phone calls from around the world, asking that ALL the detainees be released. Let them know that you are watching and protest the Israeli government’s attempts to deport peace activists witnessing and trying to prevent abuses against Palestinian human rights.

You can phone the Ministry of Interior at:
+972 2 670 1648

You can also flood Ariel prison with calls demanding the immediate release of all detainees. The best numbers to call are the officers but if they are unreachable, please call the General Info line.

Ariel Prison General Info:
+972 3 906 5444

Ariel Prison Officer - Ami Baran and Haim Fadlan:
+972 3 906 5406 or +972 3 906 5416

Please read all about it on the new-look IWPS website at
http://www.womenspeacepalestine.org

For more info:

IWPS 972 9 251 6644
Claire 972 55 854 988

ISM media office 972 2 277 4602

Huwaida 067473308

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Comments (6 of 6)

Mas'ha Camp Activists Freed On Bail

by Colm

Wed Aug 06, 2003 09:45

I have just received word that the 45+ activists detained yesterday at Mas'ha Peace Camp have been freed on bail this morning on condition that they do not re-enter the West Bank. One of the ISM volunteers detained is currently undergoing treatment in a Jerusalem hospital for suspected fractured ribs.

For the most up-to-date information check out:
www.palsolidarity.org

Human Rights Activists?

by Pat B.

Wed Aug 06, 2003 21:00

These people don't seem to care about the human rights of Jews not to be murdered, which is what the wall is all about.

To call themselves human rights activists is pure Orwell-speak: they are just apologists for Islamic terrorism.

They're serving no purpose out there

by Seáinín

Thu Aug 07, 2003 02:29

They're just glory seeking bandwagon jumpers. Typically decadent middleclass westerners without a fucking clue.

They're serving absolutely no purpose out there except to entertain us by dying comically under bulldozers.

seanin and pat b

by eoin

Thu Aug 07, 2003 12:34

do you guys know what your talking about?
apologists for islamic terrorism?
reading a little too much propoganda methinks
you can disagree with the actions of the ISM but even the most cursory amount of research will show that they are supported and alligned with secualr movements on both the plaestinian and israeli side, a fact that is often diliberatly overlooked.

get your revolution on!

by petrushka og

Thu Aug 07, 2003 21:01

interesting side note most of the 45 arrested were jewish. israels opression of the palestinian people is complex. an organization such as the ism engaging in direct non-violent action to end the occupation is worthy of all our respect, and support.

Ummm..

by Valley Girl

Sat Aug 09, 2003 22:22

Whatever

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OVER 45 HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS DETAINED

Comments (6 of 6)