<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Military Court to Give Appeal Verdict in Bil’in’s Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s Case on Tuesday | Joseph&nbsp;Dana]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://josephdana.com/2011/01/military-court-to-give-appeal-verdict-in-bilins-abdallah-abu-rahmahs-case-on-tuesday/"><img src='https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/logo.png' alt='' /></a></p>
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<p><strong>The court will deliver a decision on the military  prosecution’s appeal  to harshen Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s sentence. Abu  Rahmah was supposed to be  released on November 18th 2010, but has been  kept in detention on the  military prosecution’s request.</strong></p>
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<p><strong>What:</strong> Appeal Verdict in Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s case.<strong><br />
Where:</strong> Military Court of Appeals, Ofer compound.<strong><br />
When:</strong> 10:00 AM, Tuesday, January 11.<strong><br />
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<p>After ordering to keep Abdallah Abu Rahmah in detention past his   release date on the 18th of November, the Military Court of appeals will   deliver its verdict on the prosecution’s appeal demanding to aggravate   the one-year sentence imposed on Abu Rahmah. The prosecution is asking   the court to harshen the sentence so that it exceeds two years   imprisonment.</p>
<p>Despite international outrage over the mishandling of Abu Rahmah, the   prosecution openly argues that the sentence should be extended for   political reasons, namely “to serve as a deterrence not only to [Abu   Rahmah] himself, but also to others who may follow in his footsteps.”   Abdallah Abu Rahmah served as the coordinator of the Bil’in Popular   Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, until his arrest last year.   Such arguments by the prosecution expose the real motivation behind the   countless arrests of anti-Wall organizers and activists recently which   is to squash the popular struggle movement in the West Bank.</p>
<p>On October 11th, Abu Rahmah was sentenced to twelve months   imprisonment for his prominent role in his village’s successful campaign   against the construction of Israel’s Separation Barrier on its lands.   Abu Rahmah was convicted of two Freedom of Expression charges –   incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations, but was cleared of all   charges connecting him with direct violence.</p>
<p>Abu Rahmah was to be released from prison on November 18th, when the   prison term he was sentenced to ended, but was kept in jail on the  order  of the Military Court of Appeals. The controversial decision  directly  conflicts with the jurisprudence of the Israeli Hight Court on  the  issue, instructing that a prisoner should only be kept under  arrest  after his term was over in the most extenuating of  circumstances.</p>
<p>Abu Rahmah was declared a human rights defender by the European   Union, and his conviction and sentence generated international outrage,   and was denounced by human rights organizations and the international   community alike, including EU foreign policy chief, <a href="http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/116232.pdf">Catherine Ashton</a>.<br />
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<strong>Background</strong><br />
Abu Rahmah, the coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, was <a href="http://popularstruggle.org/content/bilin-leader-abdallah-abu-rahmah-arrested-during-military-night-raid" target="_blank">arrested last year </a>by soldiers who raided his home at the middle of the night and was subsequently <a href="http://popularstruggle.org/content/display-used-tear-gas-canisters-earns-bilin-activist-arms-charge" target="_blank">indicted before an Israeli military court </a>on   unsubstantiated charges that included stone-throwing and arms   possession. Abu Rahmah was cleared of both the stone-throwing and arms   possession charges, but <a href="http://popularstruggle.org/content/bilins-abdallah-abu-rahmah-cleared-stone-throwing-convicted-incitement" target="_blank">convicted </a>of organizing illegal demonstrations and incitement.</p>
<p>An exemplary case of mal-use of the Israeli military legal system in   the West Bank for the purpose of silencing legitimate political  dissent,  Abu Rahmah’s conviction was subject to harsh international  criticism.  The EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, <a href="http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/116232.pdf" target="_blank">expressed her deep concern </a>“that   the possible imprisonment of Mr Abu Rahma is intended to prevent him   and other Palestinians from exercising their legitimate right to   protest[&#8230;]“, after EU diplomats attended all hearings in Abu Rahmah’s   case. Ashton’s statement was followed by one from the <a href="http://popularstruggle.org/content/spanish-parliament-condemns-abdallah-abu-rahmahs-conviction#statement" target="_blank">Spanish Parliament</a>.</p>
<p>Renowned South African human right activist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called on Israel to <a href="http://theelders.org/media/mediareleases/elders-chair-desmond-tutu-calls-conviction-west-bank-activist-abdallah-abu-rahma" target="_blank">overturn Abu Rahmah’s conviction </a>on behalf of <a href="http://theelders.org/" target="_blank">the Elders</a>,   a group of international public figures noted as elder statesmen,  peace  activists, and human rights advocates, brought together by Nelson   Mandela. Members of the Elders, including Tutu, have met with Abu  Rahmah  on their visit to Bil’in prior to his arrest.</p>
<p>International human rights organization <a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/palestinian-anti-wall-protester-convicted-israeli-military-court-2010-08-27" target="_blank">Amnesty International condemned </a>Abu Rahmah’s conviction as an assault on the right to freedom of expression. Human Rights Watch <a href="http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/09/08/israel-activist-convicted-after-unfair-trial" target="_blank">denounced the conviction</a>, pronouncing the whole process “an unfair trial”.</p>
<p>Israeli organizations also distributed statements against the conviction – including a statement by <a href="http://www.btselem.org/English/Press_Releases/20101010.asp">B’Tselem</a> which raises the issue of questionable testimonies by minors used to   convict Abu Rahme, and The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)   which highlights the impossibility of organizing legal demonstrations   for Palestinians in the West Bank.</p>
<p><strong>Legal Background</strong><strong><br />
</strong>Abu Rahmah, the  coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee  Against the Wall and  Settlements, was acquitted of two out of the four  charges brought  against him in the indictment – stone-throwing and a  ridiculous and  vindictive arms possession charge. According to the  indictment, Abu  Rahmah collected used tear-gas projectiles and bullet  casings shot at  demonstrators, with the intention of exhibiting them to  show the  violence used against demonstrators. This absurd charge is a  clear  example of how eager the military prosecution is to use legal  procedures  as a tool to silence and smear unarmed dissent.</p>
<p>The court did, however, find Abu Rahmah guilty of two of the most   draconian anti-free speech articles in military legislation: incitement,   and organizing and participating in illegal demonstrations. It did so   based only on testimonies of minors who were arrested in the middle of   the night and denied their right to legal counsel, and despite   acknowledging significant ills in their questioning.</p>
<p>The court was also undeterred by the fact that the prosecution failed   to provide any concrete evidence implicating Abu Rahmah in any way,   despite the fact that all demonstrations in Bil’in are systematically   filmed by the army.</p>
<p>Under military law, incitement is defined as “The attempt, verbally   or otherwise, to influence public opinion in the Area in a way that may   disturb the public peace or public order” (section 7(a) of the Order   Concerning Prohibition of Activities of Incitement and Hostile   Propaganda (no.101), 1967), and carries a 10 years maximal sentence.</p>
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<p><a href="http://josephdana.com/2011/01/military-court-to-give-appeal-verdict-in-bilins-abdallah-abu-rahmahs-case-on-tuesday/">Military Court to Give Appeal Verdict in Bil’in’s Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s Case on Tuesday | Joseph Dana</a>.</p>
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