NOVANEWS
Israeli military court is no court of justice. It is a brutal system that systematically treats Palestinians, including children, in humiliating, dangerous, and unjust ways. Military court ‘hearings’ in occupied Palestine are conducted in Hebrew, a language many detainees and their families do not speak; the soldiers whose job it is to translate for the families often play with their phones instead.
However, the presence of international observers – especially diplomatic representatives – at Israeli court ‘hearings’ does make a difference to the way the boys and their families are treated. That is why we are asking you to contact your embassy in Tel Aviv and/or consulate in Jerusalem and kindly demand that they consider attending Hares Boys ‘hearings’, currently held at Salem military court. IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Find your respective embassy or pick one from the list.
Here is pre-form letter that can be used to email / post / dictate over the telephone (.doc and PDF):
[Spanish version follows English]
To [Ambassador’s Name]
I am writing to request your presence at the upcoming court hearings of five Palestinian schoolboys at Salem Military Court. The boys are: Mohammed Kleib, Mohammed Suleiman, Ali Shamlawi, Ammar Souf, Tamer Souf.
In March 2013, five teenage boys from Hares village (Salfit district, occupied Palestine) were arrested and charged with 20 counts of attempted murder for allegedly throwing stones at an Israeli settler’s car. They received these charges despite an overwhelming lack of evidence.
Ever since, the boys have been imprisoned, first in Al-Jalame interrogation center and later in Megiddo prison, both inside the 1948 territories of Israel (as I’m sure you know, transferring detained / arrested / imprisoned people from occupied territories to the territory of the occupier violates international law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention).
Each boy reported being tortured, including being held in solitary confinement for as long as two weeks and being beaten by soldiers and other prison personnel. The boys have only been granted very limited visits with both their families and their lawyers. Each of their court hearings has been closed to outside observers. Moreover, the boys’ trials have continuously been postponed, meaning they have been awaiting trial for over a year and a half now.
It is difficult to comprehend how terrible this ordeal must be for the boys and their families.
I ask you to attend the next court hearing, as your presence as an international observer will ensure that these boys receive as fair a trial as is possible in a military court system. I hope that you will attend and I look forward to hearing your response.
If you need more information about the court hearing, please email the Hares Boys campaign team at: haresboys@gmail.com. Alternatively please have a look at the detailed account of the Hares Boys case online: http://haresboys.wordpress.com/
Thank you very much in advance.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
