Monday 14 December 2009

Freedom for the Bi'lin Detainees



Bil’in is a Palestinian village that wants to continue to exist, that fights to protect its land, its olive groves, its resources and its freedom.

The state of Israel, by annexing 60% of Bil'in's land to construct the separation wall, is destroying this village each day, confining its inhabitants to an open-air prison.

Every Friday, supported by Israeli and international activists, the inhabitants of Bil'in protest peacefully in front of the construction site of shame - and every Friday, the Israeli army respond with physical and moral violence.






The most recent attempt by the Israeli army to reduce Bil'in's non-violent resistence campaign to silence is a wave of nocturnal raids and the multiplication of arrests of demonstrators, in particular the leaders of the Bil'in Popular Committee. Since June 23 2009, 31 Bil'in residents have been arrested by the Israeli military.



People arrested in Bil'in since the start of the campaign of intimidation



  1. 24/06/2009: Mohammed Khalil Abu Rahma (23 years old)
  2. 24/06/2009: Moatassem Faisal Al-Khatib (17 years old)
  3. 26/06/2009: Khaleel Ibrahim (15 years old)
  4. 26/06/2009: Kamel Alkhateeb (15 years old)
  5. 29/06/2009: Emad Mahmoud Yassin (16 years old)
  6. 29/06/2009: Hosni Rasim al-Khatib (16 years old)
  7. 29/06/2009: Mohsen Kateb (16 years old)
  8. 29/06/2009: Hamoda Yaseen (16 years old)
  9. 30/06/2009: Suleiman Seif (17 years old)
  10. 5/07/2009: Oda Rebhe Abu Rahma (20 years old)
  11. 5/07/2009: Mahmoud Issa Yassein (17 years old)
  12. 7/07/2009: Abdel Muamer Majdi Abu Rahma
  13. 10/07/2009: Adeeb Abu Rahme
  14. 17/07/2009: Muhammed abde Fatah al Burnat (21 years old)
  15. 19/07/2009: Imad Burnat (37 years old)

  16. 3/08/2009: Khaled gut Show Alrazic Abd-al-Khatib (23 years old)
  17. 3/08/2009: Mustafa gut Show Alrazic Abd-al-Khatib (18 years old)
  18. 3/08/2009: Mohammed Abd-gut Show Alrazic Al-Khatib (16 years old)
  19. 3/08/2009: Abdullah Ahmad Yassen (18 years old)
  20. 3/08/2009: Abdullah Mohammed Ali Yassen (16 years old)
  21. 3/08/2009: Issa Mahmoud Issa Abu Rahma (40 years old)
  22. 3/08/2009: Mohammed Khatib (35 anni), freed 18/08/2009 on the condition of presenting himself at the Police station every Friday and staying there until 5pm, until his trial is over.
  23. 15/08/2009: Nashmi Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Rahma (14 years old)
  24. 20/08/2009: Mohammad Abu Rahma alias Abu Nizar (50 years old), Freed with a caution 23/08/2009
  25. 29/08/2009: Tofik Ashraf Mohammad Jamal Al-Khatib (29 years old)
  26. 29/08/2009: Hamru Hisham Bornat (24 years old)
  27. 1/09/2009: Abed Baset Mohammed Abu Rahme (19 years old)
  28. 25/09/2009: Haitham al Khatib (33 years old), Freed 25/09/2009. He was forced to sign a document promising not to go near the wall and he has been ordered to present himself at a judicial hearing within 6 months.
  29. 1/10/2009: Basel Mansour (32 years old), freed 8/10/2009 after paying a fine of 1000 shekels
  30. 19/11/2009 : Muhammad Yassin (19 years old)
  31. 3/12/2009 : Rani Najar (23 years old)
  32. 10/12/2009 : Abdallah Abu Rahma




The latest to be detained is the coordinator of the non-violent resistence movement of Bil'in Abdallah Abu Rahmah, arrested during the night of December 10th by Israeli soldiers.

At 2 in the morning, 7 Israeli military jeeps stopped near to the home of Abdallah Abu Rahmah in the city of Ramallah. The soldiers burst into the house and arrested Abu Rahmah in his bed, in the presence of his wife and children. Abu Rahmah is a school teacher at the Latin Patriarch school in Birzeit near to Ramallah and he is the coordinator of the Bil'in Popular Committee against the wall and the settlements. In previous attempt to arrest Abu Rahmah, on September 15th, the Israeli army used such violence that a soldier was indicted.

What can you do?

Support the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee and its efforts to free the detainees.

http://www.popularstruggle.org/freeabdallah#do



A simple man called Gandhi led the non-violent struggle in India and simple people like Rosa Parks led the struggle for civil rights in the USA, simple people here in Bil'in are carrying out a non-violent struggle that will bring them freedom. The example of South Africa demonstrates that injustice can be defeated.

Desmond Tutu
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