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ISM Reports: Update On Continuing Activist Arrests

ISM Media Office (c.) | 11.05.2003 14:53 | Anti-militarism | Globalisation | Repression

UPDATE ON INTERNATIONALS TAKEN INTO IDF CUSTODY AND APPEAL FOR
SUPPORTERS TO ATTEND HEARING AND CONTACT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

Sunday, May 11, 2003


Radhika, a US citizen and Charlotte, a UK citizen were apprehended by Israeli forces near Tulkarm last night and are being held in Ariel police station, according to the police. They are scheduled for a hearing at 2:00 in Rishon Lezion, Israel Galili St #5, 3rd floor. We are asking that everyone who can attend please do so. Osama, a Palestinian coordinator working with the ISM who was detained with them suffered an epileptic seizure upon his arrest and was taken by ambulance to a Palestinian hospital.

Flo, a US citizen who was apprehended on Friday during an IDF raid on the offices of the ISM in Beit Sahour, is being held in the Hadera center for illegal immigrants. She has been told that she will be deported. Two women who were taken into custody at the same time, a Palestinian secretary working for the ISM and a social worker with Human Rights Watch have been released.

Alice and Nick, UK nationals who were detained at Erez checkpoint on Thursday evening, are being held in the Israeli Zohar military installation in a settlement in the Gaza Strip. Nick will likely be deported soon since he has a return ticket to the UK. Alice is refusing to purchase a ticket for her deportation so it is likely that her deportation will be delayed.

These are the latest Internationals to be illegally detained by Israeli forces in a campaign to remove those who bear witness to Israeli brutality and violations of international law.

We must stop this attempt to silence and deport human rights activists in the territories. According to reports released by the IDF, these volunteers have been detained and will be deported for `entering a closed military zone', despite the fact that none of the areas they were in had been declared closed military zones at the time the volunteers entered them nor did the IDF present any orders declaring the areas closed military zones. The first indication that anyone had of the areas being closed military zones was upon their arrest and detention.

Gush Shalom, Coalition of Women for Peace and Ta'ayush are sponsoring a demonstration today, Sunday, May 11, 2003 at 18:30 opposite the Kirya on Kaplan St in Tel Aviv to protest the silencing and expulsion of ISM human rights activists from the occupied territories.

The phone calls helped last time.

Please call government officials to protest the illegal detentions and deportations and to demand that Osama receive proper medical treatment.

Ariel police station, call 03 906 5444 or 03 906 530.

For UK, Please call THE FOREIGN OFFICE 020 7008 1500, Also Contact
your MP and Prime Minister

For Israel Contact Israeli Minister of Interior, Tel: +972-2-629-
4701; Fax: +972-2-629-4750
Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom Fax: +972-2-5303704 e-mail:
sar@m...
Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz Fax: +972-3-6916940, 6976990 e-mail:
sar@m...
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fax: (+972-2) 566-4838 or 651-3955 or
651-2631

For more information Please call:
George 054-351339 or Ghassan 052-595319
ISM Media Office
Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine

ISM Media Office (c.)
- Homepage: http://www.palsolidarity.org

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

News of Nick and Alice-Support needed

11.05.2003 15:44

As of this morning Nick and Alice are still being held in military detention
without legal or moral grounds.

Please could you repeat the call for people to phone the Foreign
Office/Consular Office and get people to email their MP's. I have enclosed
two sample mails, one which I sent to my MP and one that I sent as a Fax to
the home secretary.

Also use  http://notinmyname.org.uk/email-your-mp.htm and
 http://www.faxyourmp.com/ If Jack Straw is not your MP then use the fax
number provided below.

Rt. Hon Jack Straw MP,
The Foreign Secretary,
FCO,
King Charles Street,
London SW1A 2AH

Phone: +44 20 7270 2059 Fax: +44 20 7839 2417

FOR THE ATTENTION OF:
Rt Hon Jack Straw
MP for Blackburn

Saturday 10 May 2003

Dear Rt Hon Jack Straw,

As you may be aware two British nationals, Alice Coy and Nick Durie, are
being held without charge near Eretz on the border between Israel and the
Gaza strip.

They have been held without charge for approximately 36 hours and are in the
process of being deported. As I understand they have signed the waiver form
but have still not only been refused entry to Gaza but kept in detention.

Not only is this quite absurd it is clearly without any legal precedent.
They have not committed a crime nor have they been charged with one.

The two have worked with the ISM but are no longer doing so and should be
allowed the right to travel into Gaza. Even if they are not then they
absolutely not be militarily detained. There is no legal or moral
justification for this.

This is a gross abuse of military power and I ask that you personally
intervenes and insists that they are released.

They have plans to travel back to the UK within one week and should have the
liberty to travel as the wish.

In the event that they are deported then I ask that this is protested very
strongly and publicly.

Alice is refusing to pay for her own deportation and quite rightly so. If
she is deported then I would be horrified if she was allowed to suffer any
consequences on her return to the UK.

Regards


Letter to MP

MP-name

As you may be aware two British nationals, Alice Coy and Nick Durie, are
being held without charge near Eretz on the border between Israel and the
Gaza strip.

They have been held without charge for approximately 36 hours and are in the
process of being deported. As I understand they have signed the waiver form
but have still not only been refused entry to Gaza but kept in detention.

Not only is this quite absurd it is clearly without any legal precedent.
They have not committed a crime nor have they been charged with one.

The two have worked with the ISM but are no longer doing so and should be
allowed the right to travel into Gaza. Even if they are not then they
absolutely not be militarily detained. There is no legal or moral
justification for this.

This is a gross abuse of military power and I ask that you demand of Jack
Straw that he personally intervenes and insists that they are released. They
have plans to travel back to the UK within one week and should have the
liberty to travel as the wish.

In the event that they are deported then I ask that this is protested very
strongly and publicly.

Alice is refusing to pay for her own deportation and quite rightly so. If
she is deported then I would be horrified if she was allowed to suffer any
consequences on her return to the UK.

Please could you approach Jack Straw on my behalf or forward this email on
to him.

Regards

c.
- Homepage: http://palsolidarity.org


News of Nick and Alice

13.05.2003 10:59

Having just spoken to the Foreign Office I understand that the British Embassy have helped to release and take Nick and Alice out of Israel.

Marcia


Alice and Nick now in Britain

13.05.2003 18:00

Alice also held for 2 hours by British Police under Terrorism Act on coming back to London. She has just been released.

Nick is back in Scotland this afternoon. He gives a press statement tommorrow.

He said earlier today:

"I'm free now. Alice is (as far as I'm aware) still on her flight back to the UK. [] I am unharmed and the security services didn't fuck with me too much, as I pretty much consented to be flown back to Scotland. Alice faired much worse and sustained blisters to her hands while being held in an isolation cell in Sokhar immigration holding centre (where she should never have been taken - the place is an all male facility) and was later transfered to Hadeera women's prison, before flying to London, via Istanbul
on Turkish airlines. The state of Israel paid for her ticket, the ISM paid for my ticket to have its date transfered."

sb


Here's an idea

15.05.2003 23:18

Why don't the ISM try and stop the Palestinian terrorism rather than encouraging it and having bombers over for tea?

How many people have to die on both sides before you hate mongers pack up and leave?

Ral
- Homepage: http://insideyourmind.blogspot.com/