ACTION ALERT! PLEASE ACT NOW!!
MAKE A CALL!!
I got a text message Friday, December 12, 2008 from a dear friend of mine (and many of yours) from Mahmoud in Jayyous. His nephew was taken Friday night (12-12-08) by 2 soldiers from the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). It was only today that we were able to locate him. His name is Mohammed Khalid Baida. His ID number is 852738400. He has been taken to the Hewarra Detention Center. This center is known for its use of violence towards Palestinian men under investigation. Here is what happened:
Mohammed, Mahmoud and Im Mahmoud were watching television. Earlier in the day, there had been a demonstration in the village of Jayyous to protest the ongoing illegal occupation of their land and the wall that cuts them off from it. Mohammed had not been involved in the demonstration on this day.
The soldiers banged loudly on the door of Im Mahmoud's home. When Mohammed answered it, the soldiers accused him of throwing stones at the demonstration earlier in the evening and stated they were going to arrest him. He assured them he had not been at the demonstration and Mahmoud confirmed that he had been in the house watching television that day. One of the soldiers asked to see Mohammed's hands. When he did, one soldier said to another in Hebrew that Mohammed's hands were clean. Mahmoud understands Hebrew and asked them why they were going to take them if he saw that Mohammed had not been throwing stones? At that time, the soldier threatened to throw tear gas inside the home and became argumentative with Mahmoud. Mohammed gave in and he let them cuff him. Outside, the soldiers then threw the tear gas and sound bombs to frighten the neighbors away.
Mohammed has never been in jail before, nor is there any reason for him to have been taken. He is a 1st year, 19 year old university student at Najah in Nablus from the village of Jayyous. He was preparing to sit for his exams that take place 8 days from now.
It took us until today to find where they had taken him. He has not been charged with anything as far as we know. We do not know how long they plan on keeping him for and when the family calls, they do not give them any information. We only know he is there with the help of an organization in East Jerusalem called Hamoked.
Please take the time to make one phone call to let them know that he should be released immediately and to demand to know what he is being charged with and when he will be seen by a judge.
Let them know where you are calling from and that they cannot continue to disrupt the lives of innocent Palestinians trying to make a life for themselves and their families. Be sure to give them Mohammed's full name and his ID Number.
When I lived in the village of Jayyous from July 2003 to October 2004, there were countless numbers of young men taken from the village. Many of them have since been released; others are still tied up in Administrative Detention. The point is that many times, the IOF does sweeps of areas in the West Bank, taking young men from their homes! It causes undue stress, not only on the individual taken, but their families and at times, entire villages.
I realize it can be expensive to call the Middle East, but however, if you can take a moment, it could make the difference for this young man and his family. Please forward this on to as many people as you can.
The numbers for Howarra from abroad is +972 2 548 6317. From inside the Occupied Territories/Israel is is 02-5486317. Try also the DCO [District Coordination Office]: from abroad +972 2 940 9236 / from Israel or OPT 02 940 9236
Here is a good site to learn about some of the prisons. http://www.addameer.org/
Thank you.
Tracie on behalf of the Baida Family of Jayyous
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