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Activist abducted and beaten in Jerusalem

Maria V. | 10.01.2003 17:45

Jaggi Singh, Canadian activist in Palestine, has been deported from Israel today after being abducted by plainclothed Israeli secret service agents on Wednesday. The deportation of Jaggi is just the latest one of many that by now constitutes a deliberate campaign to keep international solidarity activists out of Palestine.

[Jerusalem] - On January 8, 2003, at 6 PM, Jaggi Singh, Canadian citizen and ISM activist, went to visit a friend in West Jerusalem. When he arrived at the doorstep, he was ambushed, forced into an unmarked vehicle, and taken to the Russian Compound in Jerusalem by three plainclothes Israeli secret service agents.

Jaggi Singh reports having been beaten by the Israelis as they were transporting him to the Russian Compound. An officer by the name of Aaron slapped his face several times and pulled his hair in an attempt to interrogate him. Jaggi Singh's lawyer, Shamai Leibovitch, was not allowed to talk with or visit him at Russian Compound. On January 9, 2003, Jaggi Singh was transferred to Maasiyahu Prison in Ramle and is to be deported to Canada today.

Jaggi arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on December 14th and was initially refused entry by Israeli officials for `security reasons'. He took his case to court and Jaggi was eventually given a one week visa with the condition that he not enter the occupied territories.

Jaggi is from Montreal, Canada and traveled to the occupied territories to write about the realities of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Jaggi is well known in Canada and abroad for speaking out against injustice in the many forms it takes.

Maria V.
- Homepage: http://www.palsolidarity.com