Jamal Juma` - local organizer released from detention

Jamal Juma` - local organizer released from detention
Ghassan Banourra & Nathan Stokes
IMEMC News
January 13, 2010

http://www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_id=53&story_id=57622

Juma’, co-coordinator of the Stop The Wall campaign was released yesterday evening. Jamal had been arrested on December 16th, 2009 having been called in for questioning previously.

He had been detained without charge for approximately 1 month, in clear violation of his human and civil rights.

Mr. Juma kindly spoke to IMEMC this afternoon about the methods used by the Israeli military against him, both as a prisoner and as a member of the popular movement aginst the wall.

“In the first 12 days I was interrogated and they targeted my work with the popular committees, the non-violence work. The main accusation was incitement. They said that my work was a danger to the security of Israel at a local and international level.. It is clear that they are panicking about the popular struggle, the international solidarity and the steps to boycott Israel. That is why they are starting to target Palestinian activists inside, to stop the movement outside.”

“They haven’t learnt their lessons from the past. They still think they can crush the Palestinian movement and can stop us with violence, but they are losing. They are violating the people’s rights, international law, and committing crimes against the people.”

“Since 2004, 18 young people have been killed over this wall but it doesn’t stop the people from demonstrating. We have thousands of people arrested and released, and we also have hundreds who have been injured, but they don’t stop. The opposite. It then starts in another village.”

“I’m really optimistic that the more they try and stop the people, the more they try to crush us, and put us in jail, the more we continue the movement, and for us there is very strong evidence that what we’re working on is very effective.”

“One of the impacts is the international solidarity that wasn’t as big before. It has become all over. Mainstream organizations, such as Amnesty International, for example, and on official political levels like consuls, representatives, and also the EU and political parties, all have begun to strongly question Israel.”

“They tried to show me that I am one of the main inciters of people violating Israeli rules and targeting the Israeli state & reputation, which is a crime, according to them. In the end, they had nothing to sell to the courts. No real accusations could be made.”

“Some people spend years in prison without seeing the courts. Huge international pressure prevented me from this.”