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 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.
"I learned more from spending a day driving around the West Bank with Othman, following the land-grabbing path of the Wall, than I have from reading dozens of books. His passion for knowledge and his love of the land are astounding and contagious." Naomi Klein 25/9/2009
