On the morning of last December 19th, Friday, a group of Palestinian and International activists established a memorial in the village of Turmus Ayya, next to Ramallah, to honor the Palestinian Minister Ziad Abu Ein, assassinated last week by the Israeli Army during a nonviolent demonstration in the very same place.
The Israeli Army brutally repressed the action, using tear gas, rubber ballets and even life ammunition against the demonstrators. There were dozens of injured and 4 people arrested, an Israeli and a US women and 2 Palestinian men, Jaffar Hamayel and Mohammed Khatib.
Mohammed Khatib was severely beaten during his arrest, pictures of the event show how the soldiers threw him into the ground causing cuts and injures in his face. He was strangled and held in painful positions during the process, despite he was not resisting in any violent manner to the arrest.
Khatib and the others were transferred afterwards to Benjamin Police Station, where they were hold for interrogation. Later that night, Khatib and Hamayel were moved to the Moscovie prison in Jerusalem, sadly known for the repeatedly reported bad treatment given to Palestinian prisoners on its cells.
Khatib is accused of assaulting a soldier. Today, Sunday, a preliminary hearing was held in the military court in Ofer that bailed (for 7.500 NIS each) both Palestinian activists. However, the prosecution has appealed the decision so tomorrow Monday there will be a new hearing in which the military judge will decide whether they have the right to bail or must remain imprisoned throughout the research.
Mohammed Khatib is a Human Rights Defender and prominent leader of the Palestinian nonviolent struggle who has done nothing else but exercising his right to protest and to freely express himself.
We must remember than The international community cannot under any circumstances ignore any longer these violations and must stop Israel´s impunity. The international community has the obligation to protect human rights and its defenders (UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders) and act in a fast and efficient way to prevent torture and ill treatment (UN Declaration Against Torture, European Convention on Human Rights).
We urge the international community to take action against these flagrant violations and to guarantee the safety of Mohammed Khatib and his right to a fair trial.
