Mohammad Othman is a human rights activist who was detained by Israelis when he came in from Jordan earlier this week after a visit to Norway where he had pushed for boycott. His arrest is evidently part of a new pattern of Israel cracking down on the very idea of human-rights monitoring. Note that a Palestinian who helped the Goldstone commission prepare its report for the UN Human Rights Council was also arrested by the Israelis, his case is mentioned in the report. Here’s a petition to release Othman, with over 1,100 signatures. War on Want reports:
Mohammad Othman, a prominent Palestinian activist and advocate of the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign, has been arrested and is currently being detained without charge by the Israeli authorities. With only three days before his military hearing, it is urgent that we act on his behalf.
Here are three things you can do right now to help secure his release.
- Demand the Israeli authorities release Mohammad by sending a letter to Ron Prosor, the Israeli Ambassador in London
- Demand the British government put pressure on Israel to release Mohammad by writing to the British Consulate in Jerusalem
- Follow his campaign blog and join the facebook group to get the latest updates and action alerts
Background
On 22 September 2009 Israeli authorities arrested Mohammad Othman, a 33-year-old Palestinian human rights activist. Mohammed was detained by the Israeli police on his way home from Norway, where he had been promoting the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign. Israeli authorities have scheduled his hearing for 29 September 2009 in a military court. He has not been informed of the charges against him.
Mohammad is involved with Stop the Wall, the grassroots anti-Apartheid Wall campaign and War on Want partner organisation, and has dedicated the last 10 years of his life to the defence of Palestinian human rights. His village, Jayyous, in the occupied West Bank, has lost most of its fertile agricultural land to Israel's illegal Wall and settlements.
It is believed that Othman is the first Palestinian to be imprisoned by Israel in response to BDS advocacy activity.
Mohammad's ability to talk passionately about the effects of Israel's illegal Occupation, combined with his warmth and good humour, has made him a popular activist in Palestine and with internationals alike.
Source: Philip Weiss and War on Want
