Ofer - Health Problems, Knives

Translation: Marganit W.

If pain and suffering could be ranked, the pain and suffering we witnessed today would be rated very high

In this very long day, we attended mostly hearings of women detainees.

Hanadi Rashad – 22-year old mother of two (aged 3 and 4) from Yatta.

She went to the Cave of the Patriarch with a knife and was arrested.

However, the real story of Hanadi is very different from the dry version presented in court during her remand extension hearing.

Her father and brother were in court, and they told us that Handi is married to an abusive husband. They tried to help her get a divorce, but it is complicated because she is married to her cousin.

When the family entered the court, Hanadi was crying. The father immediately burst out crying and kept saying: of course she wanted to die. She could not tolerate her life, and I could not help her.

The judge apparently sensed that there is great personal distress here, but the prosecutor pontificated about a 30-centimeter knife and the intent to cut throats.

Decision: 3-day remand extension.

On 12.7.16 an indictment will be presented.

Another victim of patriarchal occupation in Palestinian society

A remand request was presented to Justice Major Noam Briman:

Lara Nasser Mahmoud Triara – ID 401588934

Lara is the sister of Mahmoud Triara from the village of Bani Naim (the suspect in the attack in Kiryat Arba).

It is not clear why Lara and her two brothers were arrested. Her father and uncle, who were in court, told us that many reporters had come to their house, and Lara was interviewed and voiced her objection to the occupation.

She is represented by Atty. Hafez Burnat.

Decision: Remand extension for 3 days until 14.7.16, to complete the indictment. Lara’s two brothers will also show up in court on that day and she hopes to see them.

In Justice Lieutenant Colonel Menahem Lieberman’s court we attended the hearing of

Yasmin Rashad Hajazi Zaru Tamimi – ID 854689940

Yasmin is the young woman who was arrested last February at the checkpoint by the Cave of the Patriarch with a knife in her possession. “Arrested” is a misnomer. Yasmin indeed showed up with a knife, but she threw it in the direction of a soldier. The claim is that she later tried to pick it up. Yasmin was shot at, and then left bleeding and no one was allowed to come near her. This was captured on video: You see a handicapped man in a wheelchair trying to approach and a soldier knocks him out of the wheelchair. Yasmin’s father is seen trying to enter the scene shouting: This is my daughter.

Yasmin was taken to hospital with serious injuries, underwent several surgeries and then was sent to Sharon Prison. Another surgery in her abdomen is schedule in two months.

Atty. Tareq Bargout presented a plea bargain, which was accepted:

12 months in prison starting with the day of arrest.

12 months suspended sentence for 5 years.

2000-shekel fine.

Yasmin’s parents were present in court. It turns out that they knew about the plea bargain but did not really understand what it meant. They thought she was being released and coming home with them.

I can’t begin to describe the anguish of the mother when she realized that Yasmin wasn’t going home for many months.

These are some of the hearings we attended. We had many conversations with family members.

If you want to learn about the occupation, come to Ofer.