Dear friends,
I could not make up the below update even if I were a world-class fiction writer.
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| Walid Abu Rass |
Then, I shared with you all a letter that his daughter Mays wrote following an attempt to deliver him a blanket in prison: http://bit.ly/zQUUAF
After that, I gave an update and advised that his release date was to be July 22, 2012: http://bit.ly/A5HReu
Then, Amnesty International highlighted Walid's case in their latest report titled, Starved of justice: Palestinians detained without trial by Israel’ (pg 26).
Something else happened after my last update that I was not aware of until a few days ago. Two weeks ago, during a case Walid brought forward to request to be released, the Israeli military "judge" REDUCED his administrative detention sentence by a month, making his new date of release June 22, this past Friday. His wife was relieved, again, finally! His daughters were in their glories. Dad was coming home, again, finally!
Then, on Thur, June 21, Walid was orally informed that his administrative detention order was being EXTENDED for 3 more months! Tomorrow, 25/6 , he will be brought in front of an Israeli military "judge" to formally have his detention extended.
Remember, an Administrative Detention Order means you are being held for no reason that you or your lawyer know of. This practice was one reason behind all the prisoner hunger strikes that partially ended by Israel stating they would not renew detention orders. So much for that!
Walid is being held in Israel's Ofer Military Detention Center , literally a 5 minute drive from his home, where his amazing wife and beautiful two daughter's await him. He has now been out of his work for 7 months. His position was Finance and Administration Director at the Health Work Committees.
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
There is no reason for Walid to be imprisoned by Israel. His interrogators basically told him that much, saying he is there for "precautionary measures," whatever that means.
WE WANT THE COURT TO RELEASE WALID TOMORROW!
For that to happen we ask every person of conscience who sees this message to act.
You can do any or all of the following to make your voice heard:
Reference his name, Walid (Hanatsheh) Abu Rass, and his ID # 9-9702819-6
1. Call/fax/email your nearest Israeli embassy/consulate. Here is a list to find one nearest you: Web Sites of Israeli Missions Abroad
2. Call/fax/email the following Israeli occupation officials:
Brigadier General Avihai Mandelblit
Military Judge Advocate General
6 David Elazar Street
Harkiya, Tel Aviv
Israel
Fax: +972 3 608 0366; +972 3 569 4526
Email: arbel@mail.idf.il; avimn@idf.gov.il
Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi
OC Central Command Nehemia Base, Central Command
Neveh Yaacov, Jerusalam
Fax: +972 2 530 5741
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ministry of Defense
37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya
Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
Fax: +972 3 691 6940 / +972-3-696-2757
Col. Eli Bar On
Legal Advisor of Judea and Samaria PO Box 5
Beth El 90631
Fax: +972 2 9977326
3. Call/fax the Public Ombudsman at The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Unit (COGAT), the Israeli military unit responsible for implementing the Israeli occupation: Telephone: +972-3-697-7957, Fax: +972-3-697-5177
4. Call/fax the jailer himself, Col. Ganish Menashe, Commander, Ofer Prison:
24-hour number: Telephone: +972-2-541-5610 or +972-2-541-5611, Fax: +972-8-919-3360
5. Call/fax/email your own country's foreign affairs department (e.g. U.S. State Department, Palestine/Israel Desk) and put this issue on their radar.
6. Lastly, I have a personal appeal to Jews in Israel and around the world who are reading this. These kind of arbitrary detentions are being made in your name. This practice is merely breeding a generation of children who will hate more than they already do. Please act.
Walid's wife, Bayan, was spot on when she told me at the start of this saga that "Administrative detention has a beginning, but doesn't have an end."
Does Walid have to go on a hunger strike and die before his girls can hug him again?
RELEASE WALID NOW!!!
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