In a peremptory statement released today, representatives of all EU member states declared that they consider the route of the separation wall built on Palestinian land to be illegal, and that, as Abu Rahmah was "a human rights defender" participating in peaceful protests against this wall, and that they are concerned about his recent sentence of 12 months in prison by an Israeli military court.
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Immediately following Abu Rahmah's initial conviction on August 24th, EU representatives and The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, strongly condemned his conviction. Ashton said at that time, "The High Representative is deeply concerned that the possible imprisonment of Mr Abu Rahmah is intended to prevent him and other Palestinians from exercising their legitimate right to protest against the existence of the separation barriers in a non violent manner."
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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 cases 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.
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.
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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.
One year for influencing public opinion against the state.
I guess he got off easy. Corrie was murdered. Anderson nearly so and permanently brain damaged, Henochowicz was blinded in one eye, and so on, and so on, but none of those who committed that sort of violence was ever punished.
After all, they were just tormenting the others, the lesser humans, for siding with the others, the non-humans. Or maybe there is another way to explain the difference in punishments and retributions between those assaulting, maiming and killing these pro-peace activists in contrast to those levied for being one.
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