Peace activist threatened with deportation from Israel.
Hannah James, London based Irish peace activist is being detained in Israel and will be unjustly deported.
Hannah James, London based Irish peace activist is being detained in Israel and will be unjustly deported.
Peace activist threatened with deportation from Israel.
Hannah James, London based Irish peace activist is being detained in Israel and will be unjustly deported.
Below read her latest report:
8/11/04
So, yesterday I was arrested. I was at a demonstration in the Palestinian village of Kfur Thulth, with a large number of international and israeli activists supporting the villagers in their protest against the continuing theft of their land by the Israeli military and by illegal settlement expansion. Two plain clothes policemen targetted me and told me they wanted to ask me some questions and asked to see my passport. I didn't have my passport in my bag - it was back at the village. Other activists tried to stop them taking me away in the jeep, but it was clear that they wanted me specifically, so there was little point resisting. They said they were 'confused' about my name, and later in the police station I was told that I was charged with 1. not having my passport on me (although some friends immediately went back to the village and brought my passport to them); and 2. causing confusion about my name (interesting charge!).
I was questioned by Shabak, the Israeli intelligence service, asking which organisations I belonged to. I was co-operative. I was told I didn't have the right to have a lawyer present, so I explained in that case I was unhappy to answer any further questions.
I was released from the police station at 11pm on the condition that I present myself at Ariel Police Station today at 10am. They kept my passport.
Since I have been brought to the Ministry of the Interior offices in the Ben Gurion airport in Tel-Aviv and been told I will be deported.
What is clear, is that the State of Israel is pursuing a policy of criminalising human rights workers in the Occupied Palestininan Territories, and increasing criminalising Israeli human rights activists who are opposing the occupation. Hundreds of human rights workers are denied entry to Israel each year. As the occupier, Israel is obliged under international law to facilitate passage to the territories they are occupying. As international witnesses to the crimes of the occupation, human rights workers are perceived to be an enemy of Israel.
For a report on yesterday's demonstration:
http://www.palsolidarity.org/DesktopModules/Articles/ArticlesView.aspx?TabID=0&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en-US&ItemID=599&mid=10400
Hannah James
+972 547 765 498
Hannah James, London based Irish peace activist is being detained in Israel and will be unjustly deported.
Below read her latest report:
8/11/04
So, yesterday I was arrested. I was at a demonstration in the Palestinian village of Kfur Thulth, with a large number of international and israeli activists supporting the villagers in their protest against the continuing theft of their land by the Israeli military and by illegal settlement expansion. Two plain clothes policemen targetted me and told me they wanted to ask me some questions and asked to see my passport. I didn't have my passport in my bag - it was back at the village. Other activists tried to stop them taking me away in the jeep, but it was clear that they wanted me specifically, so there was little point resisting. They said they were 'confused' about my name, and later in the police station I was told that I was charged with 1. not having my passport on me (although some friends immediately went back to the village and brought my passport to them); and 2. causing confusion about my name (interesting charge!).
I was questioned by Shabak, the Israeli intelligence service, asking which organisations I belonged to. I was co-operative. I was told I didn't have the right to have a lawyer present, so I explained in that case I was unhappy to answer any further questions.
I was released from the police station at 11pm on the condition that I present myself at Ariel Police Station today at 10am. They kept my passport.
Since I have been brought to the Ministry of the Interior offices in the Ben Gurion airport in Tel-Aviv and been told I will be deported.
What is clear, is that the State of Israel is pursuing a policy of criminalising human rights workers in the Occupied Palestininan Territories, and increasing criminalising Israeli human rights activists who are opposing the occupation. Hundreds of human rights workers are denied entry to Israel each year. As the occupier, Israel is obliged under international law to facilitate passage to the territories they are occupying. As international witnesses to the crimes of the occupation, human rights workers are perceived to be an enemy of Israel.
For a report on yesterday's demonstration:
http://www.palsolidarity.org/DesktopModules/Articles/ArticlesView.aspx?TabID=0&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en-US&ItemID=599&mid=10400 Hannah James
+972 547 765 498
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