Ofer - Detention until conclusion of proceedings, Fines

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Observers: 
Tamar Goldschmidt, Aya Kaniuk, Nitza Aminov (reporting)
Mar-20-2016
|
Morning

 

Translation: Marganit W.

 

This is how Palestinians finance the occupation: millions of shekels in fines are paid to the military courts. The fine is on top of the prison time – which is against the criminal practice in Israel. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories: A fine for traffic violation is invested in the Administration and is used for the benefit of the region.

 

This is the headline of Amira Hass’s article in Haaretz from 8.3.13.

 

Today, among other things, we watched traffic hearings and heard many stories on how such tickets are given. What matters is that when a Palestinian is given a ticket, it is accompanied by a document saying: Payment to guarantee reporting to trial. The sum is 1000 shekels. As always, a Palestinian is guilty even before the trial.

 

I attended the hearing of Rawan Abu Ziada, a woman who has been in detention since July 2015. It is not clear why, but Rawan’s relatives have been barred from seeing her for three months. Today, the parents had the opportunity to see her for 5 minutes and to talk with her briefly. The next hearing was set for 15.5.16.

 

With Rawan was Yasmin Zaro, a young women who was shot at and wounded seriously. After 5 minutes the hearing was postponed to 6.4.16.

 

Particularly heartbreaking was the hearing of two young women from Abu Dis:

Judge: Major Haim Balilty

Prosecutor: Lieut. Pasek Rostislow

Defense: Atty. Tareq Bargout

 

Detainee: Wafa Muhammad Warad Jahalin, ID 852135326 – Case 1557/60

Detainee: Inas Said Abdulla Al-Amarna – ID 921593307

 

The women were arrested at Zaytim Checkpoint, as each had a knife in her bag.  Atty. Bargout explained that the women left their homes because of difficult problems. He said he had very private sensitive details and asked to conduct the hearing behind closed doors. The judge allowed him to present the details in writing. Later, during the hearing ‘mortal danger’ was mentioned. The suspects knew that the moment they reached the checkpoint, the magnetometer and the scanner would detect the knives; thus, they meant for the soldiers to arrest them, perhaps even to die at the hands of the soldiers – this is how dire their situation was.

 

The prosecutor, as expected, reiterated the usual litany about the time we live in and the knives wielded by the Palestinians.

 

The judge thought this was a clear-cut case and suggested continuing  the hearing the next day to deal with the remand extension request and with the indictment.

Indeed, the next day another hearing was held. Shosh Kahn (From Women for Women Prisoners) attended and later reported that a remand extension until the end of legal proceedings was granted.

The next hearing was set for 27.3.16.