DEC 6 UPDATE: Mohammad Othman is in 'administrative detention,' technically until December 22. But on December 15 a new hearing will likely call for an extension. Your calls and emails are still needed!

(November 24, 2009) Palestinian human rights activist Mohammad Othman needs your help. He is being held by the Israeli government indefinitely and without charges, and he needs international pressure to either call for a fair trial in a court of law where he can defend himself, or to call for his release. 

Yesterday, after 61 days in jail without charges, Mohammad Othman received his first administrative detention order for a three month period -- a period in which Mohammad will be held without charge or trial. The judicial review of the order is scheduled to take place tomorrow, November 25th, at the Military Court of Administrative Detainees in Ofer Military Base, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, and we need you to take action right now.

If you are in the US or are a US citizen residing abroad, we need you to email the American Embassy in Jerusalem ASAP and ask them to send a representative to the hearing.

For other countries, please call or fax your own consulate in Israel. You wll find easy instructions at the end of this email (immediately below my signature).

Mohammad Othman was detained on September 22 by Israeli authorities when returning to the West Bank after a human rights advocacy trip to Norway. Since his detention, he has endured long interrogations, solitary confinement, and long periods of time without access to his attorney or even to his own hearings. The charges against him have not been made clear, but there is reason to believe that he is a prisoner of conscience, arrested solely for his human rights work and his peaceful criticism of violations of international law by Israeli authorities. His harassment must stop. He should either be tried in a court of law where he can defend himself or he should be released.

Do not be fooled by the name 'Administrative Detention.' Here's how Btselem describes the procedure:

"Over the years, Israel has held Palestinians in prolonged detention without trying them and without informing them of the suspicions against them. While detainees may appeal the detention, neither they nor their attorneys are allowed to see the evidence. Israel has therefore made a charade out of the entire system of procedural safeguards in both domestic and international law regarding the right to liberty and due process."

We need you to take action right now, before the hearing.

Thanks,

Sydney Levy
Jewish Voice for Peace

If you are not in the US, please follow these steps:

(1) Go to http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Sherut/ForeignInIsrael/Continents/ and get the phone and fax number of your Consulate in Israel. If you prefer email, you may find an email for your consulate in Israel here: http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-in/Israel

(2) Here is a sample letter you can fax or email:

I am writing to you to express my grave concerns about the fate of Mr. Mohammad Othman.

I ask you to take all appropriate measures, including official inquiries and protests, to ensure Mohammad's immediate and unconditional release. I further request that you follow the lead of the Norwegian, German, and British Consulates and dispatch a US consul representative to attend Mr. Othman's upcoming hearing (November 25). At this hearing, Mohammad will be sentenced to 'administrative detention,' a procedure that allows the Israeli military to hold detainees indefinitely without charging them or allowing them to stand trial.

Mohammad Othman was detained on September 22 by Israeli authorities when returning to the West Bank after a human rights advocacy trip to Norway. Since his detention, he has endured long interrogations, solitary confinement, and long periods of time without access to his attorney or even to his own hearings. The charges against him have not been made clear, but there is reason to believe that he is a prisoner of conscience, arrested solely for his human rights work and his peaceful criticism of violations of international law by Israeli authorities.

You can read more details about Mr. Othman's case here: The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders -- a joint program of the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) -- case ISR 001 / 1109 / OBS 162 (http://www.fidh.org/Ongoing-arbitrary-detention-of-Mr-Mohammad-Othman)

His harassment must stop. He should either be tried in a court of law where he can defend himself or he should be released.

I await your response.

Respectfully,