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
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
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
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
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
Marcia
Alice and Nick now in Britain
13.05.2003 18:00
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
How many people have to die on both sides before you hate mongers pack up and leave?
Ral
Homepage:
http://insideyourmind.blogspot.com/