Campaign for the release of Rasim A’beidat and his friends

Campaign for the Release of the Three Civil Society Activists in Jerusalem
Dr. Ahmad Maslamani, Naser Abukhdair, and Rasem A’bedat

A meeting was called for where representatives of Palestinian factions, national institutions, and independent individuals called for the establishment of the National Committee for the Release of three civil society activists. The committee condemned the Israeli crime of arresting the three activists and called for their immediate release.

The three activists are:
Dr. Ahmad Maslamani. Dr. Maslamani is 47 years old from Beit Hanina, Jerusalem. He is the Director of the Health Work Committees and member of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO). Dr. Maslamani is also an observer in the Central Election Monitoring Committee of the Palestinian National Authority.

Naser Abukhdair. Mr. Abukhdair is 44 years old from Shufat in occupied Jerusalem. He is an active member of the charitable societies in Jerusalem. Mr. Abukhdair is a member of the Local Reconciliation Committee and an ex-field worker from Al-Haq, a human rights organization.

Rasem A’bedat. Mr. A’bedat is 46 years old, from Jabal Al-Mukaber in East Jerusalem. He is a staff member of the East Jerusalem Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), and a member of the Trade Union Federation. Mr. A’bedat is also a member of the Reconciliation Committee of Jerusalem.

A statement was formulated at the end of the meeting where the National Committee for the Release of three civil society activists declared:

The fact that the Israeli government is targeting civil society activists in Jerusalem is clear through the charges brought against the three and submitted to the civil court in Jerusalem on 12 of June 2005 by Israeli prosecutors. The charges brought against the three detainees include social activities, such as a ceremony for student graduates, and political activities related to the preparation for the Palestinian Legislative Council Elections (PLC) in Occupied Jerusalem.

In later developments, the Israeli High Court declared that the detainees’ social and political activities related to the expected PLC elections are prohibited.

The arrest of the three and the Israeli courts lack the legitimacy as East Jerusalem remains under Israeli military occupation. According to international legitimacies and decisions, Israel does not have the right to try the three activists as they are protected civilians by International Human Rights Law. The Forth Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilians During Times of War is also applicable in this case, as Israeli’s civil court are those of the occupier and East Jerusalem is occupied land. Therefore, the trial of the protected civilians by a civil Israeli court is a war crime.

On the other hand, the participation of the three activities in political activities related to the preparation for the PLC elections in Jerusalem is protected and granted by international law and included in the agreement which was signed between the PLO and the Israeli government (Oslo). Under this agreement, any individual has the right to nominate themselves or others as well as participate in elections. Basically, nomination and election is one of the political and civil rights that is granted by international legitimacy.

The arrest of the three activists is considered an attempt by the Israeli occupation authorities to impede the transparency of the coming election process and is a grave interference to influence its outcome. These measures aim at terrorizing the electorates and candidates in Jerusalem.

The Israeli central Court in occupied East Jerusalem has postponed hearings that were due to be held on 30 August 2005. During these hearings, review the secret file of the Israeli security was to take place. This is clear indication that implies the negative intention of the Israeli security system towards the three activists. Moreover, the arrest of the three has no legal base and the court lacks any form of justice. Therefore, these actions are considered political arrest aiming at disrupting the lection process and activities in occupied Jerusalem. Again, these actions are in grave breach of international law and aim at impeding the PLC election outcomes.

The three detainees live in difficult conditions in the Israeli Russian Compound Detention Center in Jerusalem where the three are detained with Israeli criminals which is a clear violation if International humanitarian law.

The National Committee for the Release of the three activists call upon all concerned parties and defenders of civil society work in Jerusalem to support the committee in its call for their release based on their status as Prisoners of Conscience. The National Committee for the Release of the three activists calls on the international community to ensure protection for civil society activists and their right to plan for and implement social and political activities in Jerusalem. It is imperative that Israeli policies that aim to Judaize and isolate Jerusalem are exposed. Jerusalem is part and parcel of the occupied Palestinian territories and it is the responsibility of the international community to deal with it as such.

Signatories:

Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Net (PNGO) comprising (92) NGOs
The Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Campaign (comprising 12 institutions / 54 popular committees)
The National Committee against the Apartheid Wall (comprising 50 popular committees)
General Union of Charitable societes (comprising 800 philanthropic associations)
Union of Palestinian Women Committees
Ittijah / Union of Arab Community Based Organizations ( 70 organizations)
The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee in 1948 region.
Palestine Right To Return Coalition
BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugees’ Rights.
Right of Return Defense Committee (Jerusalem District)
Union of Youth Activity Centers /West Bank
Independent Trade Unions
Palestinian Prisoner Society
Institute of Jerusalem Studies
Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies
Birzeit University Workers Union

Lawyer Bashir Al-Kheiri
Bassam Al-Salhi
Omar Assaf
Hassan Yousef
Saleh Ra’fat
Abdel Latif Gheith
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti
Raja Ighbaryeh
Zahira Kamal / Minister of Women’s Affairs
Jamal Zahalqa / Member of the Knesset
Dr. Azmi Bishara / Member of the Knesset
Issam Makhwal / Member of the Knesset
Abdel Malek Dahamsheh / Member of the Knesset
Mohammad Barakeh / Member of the Knesset
Azmi Al-Shuaibi / Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Dr. Kamal Al-Sharafi / Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Abdel Jawad Saleh/ Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Kadourah Fares / Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Hatem Abdel Kader / Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Hasan Khreisheh / Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Dr. Ghassan Al-Tobasi / Dentists Union
Lawyer Ribhi Katamesh / Lawyers Union
Dr. Burhan Daraghmeh / Pharmacists Union
Dr. Khalil Fares / Doctors Union
Dr. Basem Majaj / Doctors Union - Jerusalem Center
Nihaya Hamoodeh/ Agricultural Engineers Union
Dr. Nizzar Ayoub / Jerusalem Center for Human Rights (JCHR)
Moammar Orabi / Watan TV
Dr. Nabil Abdel Razeq
Dr. Maysoun Iraqi
Shatha Odeh
Khalid Al-Faqih /Al-Manar Channel
Theeb Horani / Al-Manar Channel
Dr. Jihad Mishaal
Dr. Iyad Al-Barghouti
Engineer Khaled Bakir
Issam Arouri
Jamal Juma’
Dr. Ismaeel D’eik
Suhail Al-Salman
Adel Abu Ni’meh
Mousa Kaws
Lawyer Dahoud Dirawi
Lawyer Rafif Mjahed
Dr. Kamal Zeineh
Dr. Na’im Abu Teir
Dr. Majed Nassar
Omar Da’na
Dr. Allam Jarrar
Khalida Jarrar
Dr. Nufooth Maslamani
Kamel Jubeil
Tahreer Al-Araj
Ameer Makhoul
Wisam Rafidi
Mahmood Ziyadeh
Dr. Yousef Al-Rimawi
Dr. Yaser Manasra
Khaled I’lyyan
Raja Misbeh
Ahmad Abu Laban
Yousef Habash
Khaled Farraj
Maha Nassar
Dr. Haydar Abdel Shafi
Dr. Iyah Al-Sarraj
Dr. Riyad Al-Za’nun
Dr. Rabah Mhanna
Dr. Yousef Mousa
Dr. Muna Al-Farra
Mr. Younes Al-Jaru
Abdel Aziz Abu Al-Karaya
Dr. Maryam Aby Dakkah
Jamil Majdalawi
Mohammad Al-Bakri
Khalil Abu Shamaleh
Huda Hammoudeh