Ofer - Barred (from meeting with attorney), Detention until conclusion of proceedings

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Observers: 
Tamar Goldschmidt, Vivi Sury, Aya Kaniuk, Nitza Aminov (reporting)
May-17-2016
|
Morning

Translation: Marganit W.

 

There are 70 women held as political prisoners in Israeli prisons today, 17 of them are minors

 

Today we attended remand extension hearings of several of these women and we met with their families.

 

Judge: Major Haim Balilti

Defendants:

Salam Abdallah Muhammad Abu Shrar – ID 959849127

Nur Ahmad Abdallah Darwish – ID 4111110349

 

Slam and Nur are two of three students arrested on 19.4.16. The third is prosecuted in Jerusalem.

For more than two weeks they were barred from meeting counsel and were interrogated at SHABAC  [GSS] facilities in Ashkelon and the Russian Compound. Until today, almost a month after their arrest they are kept in solitary at the Russian Compound. Atty. Ashraf Abu Snina, who represents them, requested that they be transferred to a SHABAC facility.

 

Salam is accused of contact with Hamas, through someone called Hasan, the fiancé of a friend.

Nur is accused of membership in Kutla Islamiya (Hamas student organization).

 

After a long discussion, Salam asked to address the court. She reiterated that all her contacts were of social, not of political or security nature.

Justice Balilti responded that during her interrogation she made different claims.

This is not the first time that there is a big gap between statements made under SHABAC interrogation and what the detaineesinfo-icon say in court. It stands to reason that after a 3-week interrogation, the detainee would admit what the interrogators want to hear.

The judge decided on remand extension until the conclusion of the proceedings and the two will attend an arraignment session on 15.6.16.

 

Atty. Ashraf Abu Sneina also represents

Amira Ali Ahmad Alhamidat – ID 904466646

 

Amira is 43 year old woman from Surif. She has been in jail since 16.11.15.

When her house was raided, sums of money were found and confiscated. The claim is that this is Hamas money. Amira has medical problems and each trip to the court causes her great pain and suffering. She is held at Damoun Prison; (detainees there who have a court appearance are taken to Sharon Prison the night before and driven to court before dawn. At night they are taken back to Sharon where, again, they spend the night before returning to Damoun.- N.A).

 

In the yard, her husband told me that on 5.4.16 their son was also arrested and put under administrative detention for four months.

The next hearing is set for 18.7.16.

 

Particularly painful is the story of Abla Al Adam who is represented by Atty. Akram Samara.

Abla, 45, is from Beit Oulah in the Hebron District.

Abla has 9 children, the youngest is 3. She is accused of a stabbing attempt at the Container Checkpoint in Hebron on 2.12.15. She was shot in the head at the scene, kidnapped from a Red Cross Ambulance and taken to Hadassah Ein-Karem Hospital, where she was operated on and hastily transferred to Sharon Prison. She was already interrogated at the hospital. Her physical condition is dire: she is awaiting several difficult cranial operations and the implantation of an artificial eye.

Her husband was present at the hearing. He told me that when he came to visit her, he was told by prison guards that he is barred from seeing her.

The next hearing is set for 25.7.16.

 

Atty. Tariq Bargouth represents

Yasmin Rashad Hejaz Zaro Tamimi – ID 854689940

 

Yasmin has been detained since 14.2.16. She was shot and severely injured at checkpoint inside Hebron, taken to Sharei Tsedek Hospital, where she underwent several operations, then transferred to Sharon Prison.

A video has circulated on social media showing Yasmin lying in a pool of blood after the shooting and also the time it took until she was taken to hospital. No wonder in the first few days it was not known if Yasmin was still alive.

Yasmin’s parents were in court, and they will come to the next hearing on 10.7.16.

 

An underage girl was brought before Justice Balilti for remand extension. She has been detained and interrogated for four days!

The investigator presented a secret file. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to provide any details that would demonstrate the absurdity of the charges and the abuse this minor detainee has suffered.

 

And then, of course, there is the continuing saga of the deaf-mute from Beit Fajer.

Omar Anwar Omar Towabte – ID 401511977

 

Atty. Bargouth who represents him is trying to reach an agreement, but to no avail.

This is the third time I attend Omar’s hearing. He knows me and waves to me.

There is no doubt that Omar does not know Sign Language (which is a real language to all intents and purposes) because he never attended a proper educational program where Sign Language is taught. The court provided a sign interpreter who claims to communicate with him and translate his words. Omar’s mother explained in the first hearing that her son does not understand the interpreter and she does not understand him. The mother communicates with him in their own private language.

This time the court allowed Omar’s mother to address the court. Even Justice Rani Amar noted that the communication used was not really sign language.

 

The judge set an additional hearing for 5.6.16, with the sign language translator that already served in the previous hearings. Why? Because.