[Ppnews] Coordinator Of Stop The Wall Campaign Imprisoned By Israel

[Political Prisoner News]

Coordinator Of Stop The Wall Campaign Imprisoned By Israel

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  Tuesday December 22, 2009 05:00
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 by The Palestine Solidarity Campaign
http://www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_id=53&story_id=57443


Jamal Juma’, coordinator of the Stop the Wall 
Campaign, is in an Israeli jail – the latest in 
Israel’s attempt to silence Palestinian non violent resistance.
Israeli security first summoned Juma’ for 
interrogation at midnight of December 15.

Hours later, they brought him back to his home. 
Juma’ was handcuffed while soldiers searched his 
house for two hours as his wife and three young children looked on helplessly.

The parting words of the soldiers were directed 
at his wife: she would only see her husband again 
through a prisoner exchange. Since then, Juma’ 
has been detained and barred from speaking to a 
lawyer or his family. No explanation has been given for his arrest.

Jamal, 47 years old, was born in Jerusalem and 
has dedicated his life to the defense of 
Palestinian human rights. The main focus of his 
work is on empowering local communities to defend 
their human rights in the face of violations 
brought about by the occupation. He is a founding 
member of a number of Palestinian NGOS and civil society networks.

Juma' has been the coordinator of the Palestinian 
Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign since 
2002. He is widely respected for his work and has 
been invited to address numerous civil society 
and UN conferences. His articles and interviews 
are widely published and his work has been 
translated into several languages. As a highly 
visible figure, Juma’ has never attempted to hide or disguise his activities.

Jamal Juma’ is the highest profile arrest within 
an intensifying campaign of repression of 
grassroots mobilizing against the Wall and 
settlements. Initially arresting local activists 
from the villages affected by the Wall, the 
Israeli authorities have moved towards the 
detention of internationally known human rights 
defenders such as Mohammad Othman and Abdallah Abu Rahmah.

Mohammad, another member of the Stop the Wall 
Campaign, was arrested nearly three months ago 
when returning from a speaking tour in Norway. 
After two months of interrogation, Israeli 
authorities still could not press any charges 
against him and therefore passed an administrative detention order against him.

Abdallah Abu Rahmah, a leading figure in the 
nonviolent struggle against the Wall in Bil’in, 
was taken from his home in the middle of the 
night a week before Jamal was jailed.

With these arrests, Israel aims to weaken 
Palestinian civil society and its influence on 
political decision making at the national and 
international level. This process clearly 
criminalizes the work of Palestinian human rights 
defenders and Palestinian civil disobedience.

It is crucial that the international community 
combat Israeli attempts to criminalize human 
rights defenders struggling against the Wall. The 
Israeli policy of targeting organizers calling 
for Israeli accountability is a direct challenge 
to the decisions of governments and global bodies 
such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) 
to hold Israel to account for its violations of 
international law. This challenge shall not go unmet.
For more information contact: global[at]stopthewall.org Tel: +972-2-2971505




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