Human Rights Defender Arrested During Cycling Marathon
International Solidarity Movement | May 15, 2016
Photo Credit: http://www.taz.de
Bil’in, Occupied Palestine – On Friday the 13th
of May 2016, the internationally recognized human rights defender and
coordinator of the Bil’in popular committee against the wall and
settlements, Abdullah Abu Rahma, was arrested during the Alwada Cycling
Marathon, which took place in the West Bank Friday. Abdullah Abu Rahma
is currently still being held under detention by the Israeli military
and his case will be brought to the military court in Ofer Military Base
tomorrow.
Abu Rahma, who is from the West Bank village Bil’in, was
arrested, after the Alwada Cycling Marathon had reached Bil’in. After
reaching Bil’in the attending cyclists were met by approximately 150
heavily armed soldiers, who immediately started showering the cyclists
with tear gas and blocked the road, where their route was going. During
this attack on the peaceful demonstrating cyclists, Abu Rahma was
arrested along with an international activist from Israel. The Israeli
activist was released shortly after her arrest.
The Alwada Cycling Marathon’s intention was to
demonstrate against the illegal Israeli occupation and the apartheid
system, that Israel is enforcing on the Palestinians through a healthy
and peaceful cycling route from Ramallah to Bil’in. By Israeli Forces
attacking the peaceful demonstration and arresting Abu Rahma, they once
again show the world, that they do not accept the right to protest
peacefully and that they do not comply with the international law, that
does not allow Israeli Forces to be on Palestinian controlled areas,
which the area of Bil’in is.
Abu Rahma is an important activist for the village of
Bil’in and a symbol of peaceful resistance all over the West Bank. For
now, he is left waiting for his next sentence, after he has already been
imprisoned for his nonviolent resistance multiple times, and has in the
past been charged with both “incitement” and “organizing and
participating in an illegal demonstration.” Till now, there has not been
declared a charge against him in the current case, but the military
court will determine his fate, after having held him in detention for 4
days, even though he did not commit any crime whatsoever.
For more information about friday’s Alwada Cycling Marathon:
https://www.facebook.com/haytham.alkhateeb/posts/10208232017891106?pnref=story
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