Ofer - Release on Bail, Remand Extension
Translation: Marganit W.
“Attempted Murder; women, armed with knives, attack army camp, climb the fence, hurl rocks at the watch tower, then wait for the soldiers to come down from the tower so they can stab them to death.”
On Thursday, 19.11.15, three schoolgirls from Beit Sahour who study in Bethlehem were arrested.
Shosh Kahn (“Women for Women Prisoners”) and I came to attend the hearings of other women detainees
, but as soon as we arrived we were accosted by the parents of those three girls. They told us that as part of their curriculum, the girls were sent to observe natural phenomena and interview people. The soldiers spotted them from the watchtower and began shouting at them. The girls panicked and fled. The soldiers followed them, throwing gas and stun grenades, caught them, beat them up and took them to an army base near Beit Sahour. The villagers notified the parents who hurried to the detention center where they found the beaten girls.
On Friday their remand was extended at Ofer, without the parents’ presence.
The title of this report was given to us by Atty. Tareq Bargout who represents the girls. These are some of the charges. Atty. Bargout reports that the prosecution is about to complete the investigation.
The attorney has questions of his own: for example, he wants to see the photos from the watchtower.
The hearing ended with a decision to release the girls with a 1500-shekel bond each. The parents paid right away, and we later heard that at 8 PM the girls had gone home.
Now we wait to see if the prosecution will continue with this farce and indict the girls.
In Khalida Jarrar’s hearing the defense, Mahmoud Hassan stated that the prosecution has tendered a plea bargain, so there was no point in deposing witnesses.
The next hearing is set for 6.12.15.
At Sharon Prison, where most female Palestinian detainees and prisoners are kept, there is no more room. Thus, 3 minors are detained at Neve Tirtza Prison under harsh conditions together with criminal prisoners.
Today one of those girls had a hearing in court. Atty. Haled Al-araj told me that the judge ordered her released on bail, but the prosecution appealed the decision. I do not know if the appeal was accepted.