Ofer - Administrative Detention, Barred (from meeting with attorney)

Translation: Marganit W.

Students’ activity in Palestine – forbidden!

Since the beginning of the current school year more than 60 students of Beir Zeit University have been arrested. Some are under administrative detention. Among the detainees are two female students:

Mays Abu Ghosh and Samah Jaradat.

Jaradat’s hearing began today.

She is represented by Atty. Bilal Naama from Adameer Organization.

Samah Jaradat was arrested on 7.9.19 and interrogated at the Russian Compound.

She was barred from seeing counsel.

Her attorney told the court that she had undergone very harsh interrogation and whatever she said was obtained under pressure.

At present, she is at Damoun Prison.

Judge Major Lidor Drachman read the details of the indictments: Membership in an unlawful organization and holding a position in that organization.

Jaradat is accused of being a member of Kotoub (students organizations affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). She was a Kotoub representative at the students’ council at Beir Zeit University and took part in meetings.

In 2017 she served as deputy secretary of the organization.

In 2018 she headed the budget department and in 2019 she participated in a discussion about opening a summer camp for kids.

The next hearing was set for 17.11.19

Mays Abu Ghosh was arrested at home in Qalandiya Refugee Camp, on 29.8.19.

She was taken to interrogation at the Russian Compound that lasted more than a month. She was barred from seeing legal counsel.

At present she is detained at Damoun Prison.

She is represented by Atty. Mahmoud Hassan.

The judge was Major Uriel Dreyfuss.

Atty. Hassan stated that he had not been able to make a photocopy of the file – under order from the prosecution. The claim is that the interrogation of other Russian Compound detainees is still ongoing.

The next hearing was set for 17.11.19.

Mays Abu Ghosh’s family has known much suffering: they are refugees from Imwas, one of the three villages in the Latrun area that Israel demolished in 1967. One brother was a “shahid” and another brother, a juvenile, has just been arrested for the second time and is under administrative detention. The first detention was from January to May of this year and now from September for 4 months.