More jail terms for Gaza protesters
Min Donny | 27.03.2010 14:16 | Palestine | Repression | Social Struggles
26th March 2010 – Lizzie Cocker in Isleworth
Police hide video evidence from defence lawyers.
Two more youngsters charged with violent disorder during last year’s protests against Israel’s two-week massacre of the Gazan people have been handed harsh jail terms.
Police hide video evidence from defence lawyers.
Two more youngsters charged with violent disorder during last year’s protests against Israel’s two-week massacre of the Gazan people have been handed harsh jail terms.
Judge Denniss at Isleworth Crown Court sentenced Scott McPherson to two years and Yahia Tebani to 12 months.
Ibrahim Obeseyah received a 12-month suspended sentence and 150 hours unpaid work.
Four other hearings also took place with two cases being adjourned until late April. The verdict of the others had not been confirmed as the Star went to press.
Protesters gathered inside and outside the court to show solidarity with the families of the defendants.
The defendants’ families stressed that, despite the abundance of CCTV footage, the police brutality which provoked the reaction of protesters had been ignored when the sentences were handed out.
Mr McPherson has been forced to leave his five-month-old son and, like Mr Tebani, is unable to continue with his university studies.
His mother Linda McPherson said: “He was demonstrating at the Israeli embassy standing up for the people of Gaza and the police were antagonistic and violent.
“A year later he was out shopping and undercover police came from all directions and pounced on him and then arrested him.
“Regardless of what this country says, you have not got freedom of speech and freedom to demonstrate and protest against what’s happening in other parts of the world.”
Mr Tebani was 17 at the time he was captured on CCTV throwing a stick in the direction of police guarding the embassy.
His brother Hamza said: “We have lost faith in the law, this is how I feel.
“Nobody mentioned anything about why he took a stick and waved it. No-one spoke about injured people being refused through police lines to get to the ambulance.”
One-hundred-and-nineteen predominantly young Muslims were arrested after the protests. Seventy-nine have since been charged and so far 24 have been sent to prison. The sentencing of the remaining defendants continues.
The British Muslim Initiative has instructed a lawyer to take the cases to appeal.
President Mohamad Sawalha said: “They are damaging the idea of cohesion. The Muslim community is really feeling very angry against these charges because it’s not acceptable that a young Muslim or non-Muslim who just threw an empty bottle at the police is sentenced to two years.”
www.gazademosupport.org.uk
Ibrahim Obeseyah received a 12-month suspended sentence and 150 hours unpaid work.
Four other hearings also took place with two cases being adjourned until late April. The verdict of the others had not been confirmed as the Star went to press.
Protesters gathered inside and outside the court to show solidarity with the families of the defendants.
The defendants’ families stressed that, despite the abundance of CCTV footage, the police brutality which provoked the reaction of protesters had been ignored when the sentences were handed out.
Mr McPherson has been forced to leave his five-month-old son and, like Mr Tebani, is unable to continue with his university studies.
His mother Linda McPherson said: “He was demonstrating at the Israeli embassy standing up for the people of Gaza and the police were antagonistic and violent.
“A year later he was out shopping and undercover police came from all directions and pounced on him and then arrested him.
“Regardless of what this country says, you have not got freedom of speech and freedom to demonstrate and protest against what’s happening in other parts of the world.”
Mr Tebani was 17 at the time he was captured on CCTV throwing a stick in the direction of police guarding the embassy.
His brother Hamza said: “We have lost faith in the law, this is how I feel.
“Nobody mentioned anything about why he took a stick and waved it. No-one spoke about injured people being refused through police lines to get to the ambulance.”
One-hundred-and-nineteen predominantly young Muslims were arrested after the protests. Seventy-nine have since been charged and so far 24 have been sent to prison. The sentencing of the remaining defendants continues.
The British Muslim Initiative has instructed a lawyer to take the cases to appeal.
President Mohamad Sawalha said: “They are damaging the idea of cohesion. The Muslim community is really feeling very angry against these charges because it’s not acceptable that a young Muslim or non-Muslim who just threw an empty bottle at the police is sentenced to two years.”
www.gazademosupport.org.uk
Min Donny
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