News

Ahed Tamimi, 17, to serve 8 months in prison for slapping soldier in occupied village

Ahed Tamimi, the 17-year-old Palestinian who was imprisoned in December for slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier, has reportedly reached a plea bargain to serve eight months in prison including time served, according to U.S.-based civic organization Avaaz, which is organizing the Free The Tamimis campaign.

Following a closed hearing on Wednesday at Israel’s Ofer Military Court, Avaaz released a statement saying that Tamimi pleaded guilty to four of the 12 charges against her, which initially carried a sentence of up to 10 years.

The decision came just days after the court rejected Tamimi’s appeal to hold her trial in open court, as  activists voiced concerns of the court being able to act with increased impunity behind closed doors.

“The Israeli military was forced to give in and drop eight of the charges against Ahed as part of a plea bargain, in which Ahed recognized in court the fact that she slapped the soldier and called for protests,” Avaaz said on Monday.

As part of the plea deal, Tamimi will get the minimum sentence of eight months, though according to the statement from Avaaz, the Israeli prosecutor initially pursued a sentence of three years for Tamimi’s guilty plea.

Avaaz characterized the sentence as a victory. In a statement to the media, Palestine-based head campaigner for Avaaz, Fadi Quran, said “despite Israel’s best efforts to terrorize and break Ahed, she will soon walk free with her head raised high.”

“Her call for freedom has inspired a generation of Palestinian children who are daring to demand a different kind of future. Now let’s think about the hundreds of other Aheds out there. Over 300 kids are currently held by Israel’s military – together we can make sure they walk free too.”

Tamimi’s December indictment included five counts of assault against security forces, including stone throwing. She was charged with assaulting a soldier, threatening a soldier, disrupting a soldier and inciting and throwing objects at a person or property.

Tamimi’s mother, Nariman, who was arrested one day after her daughter and charged with “incitement” for publishing the now famous video of Ahed’s altercation with the soldier, will also be released in July along with her daughter.

“The fact that a child will be jailed for 8 months for slapping a soldier whose troops just shot her 15-year-old cousin in the face is extreme,” the statement said, “but in the context of the 99% conviction rate in the Israeli military court system and right-wing incitement against Ahed, this compromise by the Israeli military shows they have decided to back down in the face of growing pressure to release Ahed.”

The statement went on to detail the intense military interrogations Tamimi was subject to, along with the 10 other Palestinians — eight of them children — from her hometown of Nabi Saleh.

“The interrogation tactics were meant to coerce her into admitting guilt on the 12 charges brought against her. Detained children, who are often beaten, disoriented, and afraid, end up saying anything the interrogator wants them to – but Ahed courageously maintained her right to remain silent throughout the entire interrogation,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Israeli news daily Haaretz reported that the deal was not final, and still needed to be approved by the military court.

Citing unnamed sources, Haaretz reported that Tamimi’s eight-month-sentence “is not considered particularly lenient or particularly severe.”

“The Israeli military felt the need to end the legal event, the source said, as it damaged the army’s reputation in the media and internationally, which may be why the plea bargain was intensively promoted,” Haaretz reported.

Boasting more than 1.7 million signatures on their international call to free Ahed and her mother, Avaaz has credited the widespread international attention surrounding the teenager’s case, with her anticipated release in July.

39 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

What an extraordinary hero she is. Schools should be named after her. I’m a little heartbroken that she and her mother have to spend one more minute behind bars but it looks like the best outcome considering the alternatives. There are a million stories that illustrate how morally perverse and reprehensible the occupation is, but this one jumps to the front.

It is not usual for Israel to back down. Maybe things are changing.

Ben Gurion said “it doesn’t matter what the goys do” but that was bullshit.

I wonder if she will get credit for time served and good behaviour.

Au contraire , poor little victimised Israel will endeavour —sorry –come up with fake charges of disruptive behaviour or acts of incitement to violence and refusal to carry out instructions , with the goal of prolonging her incareration.

Israel is truly a corrupt and ugly society hell bent on self destruction.

Don,t let us get in your way “Oh Yisrael “.

@amigo
“I wonder if she will get credit for time served and good behaviour”

I think TOFGB only applies to Menschen in Zioland proper such as that thoroughly well behaved IDF health professional Azaria.

The Ziorightfreaks are probably already outraged that the death penalty wasn`t introduced for Ahed Tamimi or failing that a life sentence in solitary confinement.It would be a brutal blatant and life threatening slap in the face to the likes of Bennett,Shaked and the endearing Oren Hazan if she were to be let out early.

As I have said everyday that she is incarcerated represents another tiny nail in the Zioland Apartheid coffin. I think that she has the courage and resilience to face up to this disgusting Fascist sentence and the more messages of support from around the world the better.

Tamimi is freer than the 3 Jewish goons in the picture.