Ahed Tamimi will be detained until Monday as she is refusing to speak with Israeli officers who are trying to interrogate her, according to an Israeli military court. The 17 year old Palestinian from Nabi Saleh village was arrested on Tuesday, after a video of her confronting an Israeli occupation soldier made headlines around the world. Her mother Narriman, who was also arrested when she visited her daughter at the police station, will appear in court on Thursday. Ahed’s cousin, journalism student Nour Tamimi, was arrested on Wednesday morning as she was present at the time of the altercation with the soldier.

Ahed’s anger to the soldier was in response to the shooting of her 15 year old Mohammed Tamimi. Mohammad was shot in the head with a rubber-coated steel bullet during a protest in Nabi Saleh on Friday. He remains unconscious in hospital.

Ahed’s attorney Gaby Lasky has argued for her release from prison while the police investigate the incident.
“The police claim this is a unique incident carried out shamelessly and spitefully. But obviously neither shamelessness nor spite justify imprisonment,” Lasky told 972 Mag, an online news source.

“Israeli hilltop youth (settlers) have engaged in similar behaviour and the police and the army chose not to arrest them or to consider their behaviour such that requires keeping a minor under arrest.”
Lasky also denounced the Israeli occupation forces for the manner in which Ahed was arrested. The Tamimi home was raided at 4am and Ahed was accosted from her bed while sleeping.

“Given that the incident in question occurred during the day, it would have been possible to carry out the arrest during the time of the incident or a few hours later. Instead, the army and the police chose to carry out an illegal, offensive, night-time raid.”

She also criticised the fact that Ahed’s hearing was handled behind closed doors.

“It is unacceptable that the military authorities decided to video-tape the arrest of a minor and send the clip to media outlets as punishment,” Lasky said of the state’s request to hold the hearing behind closed doors.

“Now the police are suddenly worried about protecting the rights of a minor […] It seems that this is all to prevent anyone from seeing what happens inside the courtroom.”

Ahed’s father, Bassem Tamimi, will also be called in for an interrogation on Thursday. While he praised his daughter for her courage, he also expressed a deep fear for her well-being.

“I don’t trust this court because it is a component of the occupation — it helps the occupation and the occupier,” Tamimi said.

“It is used to give legitimacy to the arrest of Ahed, the child.”

The Tamimi family visited South Africa in August this year as part of the Shamsaan tour to promote peace and justice in Palestine. Ahed and her parents had visited schools, community organisations and conducted numerous interviews on their experiences under Israeli occupation.

In a message to South Africa, he said: “I hope you, our partners in the struggle for the humanity and freedom, will work hard to defend our family from the propaganda the Israeli media is instigating against us. Together hands in hand, we are part of the same struggle for freedom for Palestine, Free the Tamimi family.”

Meanwhile, a global petition demanding Ahed’s release has been launched on the Avaaz website. Click here to add your name to the petition. https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/free_ahed/
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