Ofer - Administrative Detention, Appeal

Translation: Marganit W.

Cold Comfort – Alaa Asaef’s mother is happy that her daughter is in Sharon Prison after three weeks of solitary confinement at the Russian Compound

Alaa Asaef, a student from Beir Zeit University has been in detention for almost a month. She was taken to the Russian Compound and held in solitary confinement there for three weeks.

In the yard Vivi and I asked some families if Alaa’s relatives were present. Soon two women, mother and daughter, approached us. The daughter said she was a fellow student and a close friend of Alaa, and would very much like to see her. However, they had come to attend hearings of their own family members. Later we met the parents. The father had been under administrative detention for 18 months in 2006-07. The mother asked us if the prosecution had any proof. Desperately, they still regard the place as a “court of law”.  I pointed out that her husband had been in administrative detention for such a long time without any proof.

There were pictures of the graduation ceremony at Beir Zeit University on social media in which her friends held the absent Alaa’s picture.

A short remand extension hearing was held in Justice Major Moshe Levi’s court.

Alaa Saed Kamal Asaef, ID 853656866 - Case 2125/16

Atty. Fadi Qawasme agreed to a 7-day remand extension until 6.6.16 at 10 AM for the presentation of an indictment.

Salsabil Zueidi Shaaban Shalalde, ID 859755407 - Case 3537/16

Defense: Atty. Ashraf Abu Sneina

Salsabil, a student, was arrested in April 2016.

In the first remand hearing the judge agreed to release her on bail, but as usual, the prosecution objected and the appeal was accepted. Since then, she has been held at Sharon Prison. She is accused that from April 2015 until her arrest in April 2016 she had been a member and an activist of Kutla Islamiya (Hamas Student Organization) and served on the student council as head of the Social Committee. For this activity, which can be defined as a basic right of any student, Salsabil was convicted, as part of a plea bargain.

The penalty was: 7 months in prison, from the day of arrest. 10 months probation for 4 years and a 3000-shekel fine or 3 months in prison.

The last hearing we attended at the end of the day was of

Amal Jihad Ali Ahmad, ID 854053840 - Case 8474/14

In other hearings, and in the press, she appears as Amal Takatka.

She is a young woman in her twenties from Beit Fajer.

In 2011 she was detained for 3 months for throwing rocks.

In 1.12.14 Amal went to Gush Etzion and tried to stab a settler. The knife got stuck in the coat and Amal tried to flee. The soldiers shot her causing grave injuries. She was taken to Hadassah Eijn Karem hospital and from there to Sharon Prison.

In earlier hearings I saw her brought in on a wheel chair, later she used a walker.

Her father and brother-in -law attended the hearing.

Judge: Lieut. Col. Menahem Lieberman

Atty. Haled Alaraj told the court that a plea bargain had been reached stipulating that one judge will preside at the hearing and that the defendant would admit to all the charges in the revised indictment, and then the sides will argue for a penalty.

Since the charge is attempted murder the trial was supposed to be by a panel of judges, which carries a steeper punishment. The defense was pleased with the decision. I, however, wondered if there was an attempt to question the statements obtained from Amal in the hospital. In court, however, plea-bargains are the norm, so what we witnessed can only be described as “cold comfort”.

Hearing was set for 17.7.16 for arguments for penalty.

Here is a report on a strange story that happened today. It has to do with Madlen Alharizat, a young woman from Yatta. The day before, she was brought in for remand extension with an option for administrative detention. Her name was on the docket at the remand extension hall, but I could not find the attorney representing her.

In the yard we spoke to her parents who told us that Madlen had been arrested on 21.12.15 and was detained for 9 days until released on 5000-shekel bail. The parents had no idea why she was arrested. Since her release the SHABAC [GSS] came to their house numerous times to interrogate her. The parents suspect that there is an attempt to turn her into a collaborator.

At the end of the day Atty. Ihab Galid told the parents that their daughter would be released the same day without being indicted.

Later that night, the mother called Vivi and told her that Madlen had been released at the checkpoint near Ofer. She invited us to visit them in Yatta. Let’s hope we can come.

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