38 objectors in prison

[Sergeiy Sandler <sergeiy at netvision.net.il>]

12 Apr. 2002
Hebrew in separate message

*** PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY ***


Dear friends,

The number of imprisoned objectors has now risen up to 38 - by far the
largest number of declared objectors to be held in prison simultaneously in
Israel's history.

This message is divided into two sections. In the first there will be a
brief report, including prison address, on each of the 38 objectors
imprisoned at the moment. The second section suggests action to be taken on
the prisoners' behalf.


PRISONER REPORTS
****************

This section contains in brief information about all 38 declared objectors
held in prison at the moment, including prisoners whose cases were already
reported in previous messages. One reason for doing this is that several
prisoners were transferred from one prison to another, so watch for changes
in prison addresses. NOTE ALSO THAT THE POSTAL CODE FOR MILITARY PRISON NO.
6 HAS CHANGED.

Some of the prisoner cases (those I put closer to the beginning), I thought
would deserve special attention. I added some extra information there.

As usual, thanks to Yesh-Gvul for providing much of the information
contained in this report.

One more thing before the prisoner reports themselves - this week two of the
objectors previously reported were released from prison. They are DAVID
PERLMAN (released on 5 Apr.) and ELAD LAHAV (released on 11 Apr.)


1. RENNAN AMIN SALAMEH

Last week I reported that the Druse objector Rennan Amin Salameh was
released from prison and exempted from military service. Apparently, the
good news were somewhat premature. He is now back in prison for 30 more
days. Rennan Amin Salameh is a Druse-Palestinian citizen of Israel who
refuses to be drafted to the Israeli army to fight against his own people.

Rennan has originally received a sentence of 4 months in prison. After an
Unsuitability Committee decided to exempt him from military service, he was
released from prison on 2 Apr., after completing 90 days of imprisonment. It
was assumed that he got a more-or-less standard reduction of one third of
his sentence. However, already after being released, he was referred to a
military parole committee that decided not to shorten his sentence at all.
He was sent back to prison for 30 more days, beginning with 4 Apr. His
intended date of release will be in early May.

My own impression is that were Rennan Jewish, he would never have gotten
this kind of treatment. I see a good reason to make protests on his behalf
especially loud.

Rennan's prison address is:

Rennan Amin Salameh
Military ID 6371684
Military Prison No. 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel.


2. IG'AL ROSENBERG

Political objector Ig'al Rosenberg, a draft resister and one of the
signatories of the "letter of the 12-graders", has been sentenced to 14 days
in prison on 10 Apr. This is his third prison term in a row. He is due to be
released on 22 Apr.

Ig'al objects to any sort of service in the Israeli army.

His prison address is:

Ig'al Rosenberg
Military ID 7303585
Military Prison No. 4,
Military postal code 02507,
Israel.


3+4. DANNY BREUTMAN and NOAM SHEZAF

Both Danny Breutman and Noam Shezaf were originally sentenced on 26 March to
14 days in prison and were released on 5 Apr. However, their units were
re-called to reserves duty as part of the present "emergency mobilization".
They have consequently been both sentenced to additional terms of 14 days
each on 8 Apr. They are due out on 20 Apr.

Breutman and Shezaf thus became the first reservist objectors to be
imprisoned for the second time since the beginning of the Intifada. Both
object specifically to service in the Occupied Territories.

Their prison addresses are:

Lieut. Noam Shezaf
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel

Danny Breutman
Reservists Company,
Military Prison No. 4,
Military postal code 02507,
Israel.


5. REUVEN VOLOCHAVIANSKY

Reuven Volochaviansky (29), of Tel Aviv-Yahoo, an instructor at a home for
youth in distress, who is studying for his masters degree in criminology -
was sentenced to 28 days on April 7 for refusing to recruit members of his
reserve unit for service in the territories. He is due to be released on 2
May.

His prison address is:

Reuven Volochaviansky
Reservists Company,
Military Prison No. 4,
Military postal code 02507,
Israel.


6. Jaffa HALLEL

Amnon Hallel received an emergency call-up to reserves service on the
evening of 5 Apr., and was sentenced on 6 Apr. to 28 days of imprisonment.
He is due to be released on 1 May.

Amnon is a pacifist and has already applied to the military Conscience
Committee for exemption from reserves service on these grounds. However, in
the statement he made for the occasion of his imprisonment, he chose to
emphasise the importance of resisting the occupation and the brutality of
the Israeli army. Among other things, he stated: "It is the duty of every
human being to do whatever in his or her power to stop the terrible
oppression performed by the Israeli government, through its army, against
the Palestinian people, and lately also against Israelis and internationals
trying to protest against the policy of occupation, degradation, killing,
revenge, discrimination, intimidation and the other forms of violence
practiced by the army. There never was and there never will be any true
justification to the terrible violence practiced by the army".

His Prison Address is:

Amnon Hallel,
Military ID 5272013
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel


7 KUTI ROTH

Kuti Roth (aged 29), a gardener from Jerusalem, got 28 days on 5 Apr. for
refusing to serve in Hebron. He objects to service specifically in the
Occupied Territories. His scheduled release date is 30 Apr.

Kuti Roth
Reservists Company,
Military Prison No. 4,
Military postal code 02507,
Israel.


8. ARI BONEH

Ari Boneh was sentenced on 5 Apr. to 30 days in prison for refusing to serve
in the Occupied Territories. He is due out on 1 May.

Ari Boneh
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel


9. ARAD HAKIM

Arad Hakim, a good friend of Amnon Hallel (No. 6 in this list), was also
called-up on 5 Apr. and sent to prison on 6 Apr. for 28 days. Unlike his
friend, Arad Hakim objects to service specifically in the Occupied
Territories. He is due out on 1 May.

Arad Hakim
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel


10. EZRA PEARCE

Ezra Pearce, a 29-year-old student, was sentenced to 28 days in prison for
refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories on 7 Apr. He is due out on 2
May.

Ezra Pearce
Reservists Company,
Military Prison No. 4,
Military postal code 02507,
Israel.


11. DORON MOTAI

Doron Motai, a junior officer (Captain), was sentenced to 28 days in prison
for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories on 7 Apr. He is due out on
2 May.

Capt. Doron Motai
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel


12. AMICHAI KATZ

Amichai Katz (aged 27), a student and pub owner from Jerusalem, was
sentenced to 28 days in prison for refusing to serve in the Occupied
Territories on 8 Apr. He is due out on 3 May.

Amichai Katz
Reservists Company,
Military Prison No. 4,
Military postal code 02507,
Israel.


13. YOAV CASPI

Yoav Caspi, a junior officer (Lieutenant), was sentenced to 28 days in
prison for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories on 8 Apr. He is due
out on 3 May.

Lt. Yoav Caspi,
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel


14. SEAN LAIKOV

Sean Laikov (aged 32), a youth counsellor from Kibbutz Tzora was sentenced
to 35 days in prison for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories on 10
Apr. He is due out on 11 May.

Sean Laikov
Military ID 5072373
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel


15+16. GILEAD HYMAN and JACOB HOFFMAN

Gilead Hyman and Jacob Hoffman were sentenced on 10 Apr. to 28 days in
prison for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories. They are due out
on 5 May. We do not yet know in which Prison they are held.


17. OMRI TSALMONA

Omri Tsalmona was sentenced on 11 Apr. to 35 days in prison for refusing to
serve in the Occupied Territories. However, probably due to overload in the
military prison system, he will begin his prison term only this Sunday, 14
Apr. We thus have no prison address for him as yet.


18-24. Anonymous

The following imprisoned reservists, who refused to serve in the Occupied
Territories, asked to have their names withheld: O. Y., O. Y. (another
person with the same initials), S. S. and G. B. They join A. C., O. T. and
B. L., who were mentioned in our previous mailing.

The case of G. B. is slightly different than that of the rest. He was
already held in prison for 7 days in March and was imprisoned again on 8
Apr. to 35 days.


25-38. Previously Reported Cases

All the following cases were already reported in our last two mailings. I
bring here only their updated prison addresses and scheduled release dates.
For further information on them, please read the previous postings at:
http://www.newprofile.org/english/Summery_CO_01.html#COupdate.

YAIR KHILOU
Personal Military ID 7274070
Military prison No. 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 26 Apr.]

ODED LITMAN
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Previously reported as Oded L. Due out on 1 May]

GUY KESHET
Personal Military ID 5089936
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 27 Apr.]

ERAN ACKERMAN
Personal Military ID 5111605
Reservists Company
Military prison No. 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 27 Apr.]

AMOS BAER
Reservists Company,
Military prison No. 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 25 Apr.]

OFER SHAFRIR
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 23 Apr.]

GIL BRONSTEIN
Reservists Company,
Military prison No. 4
Military postal code 02507, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 23 Apr.]

Lieut. ITAI RYB
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 26 Apr.]
Itai Ryb can be reached at mailto:itair at fh.huji.ac.il

Lieut. TIMOR ISRAELI
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 24 Apr.]

ILAN WINDHOLZ,
Military personal number 7265473
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 20 Apr.]

Major PIKI BEN-SHALOM
Military personal number 4609194
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 19 Apr.]

SHACHAR TZUR,
Military personal number 5067698,
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 19 Apr.]

ISHAI MOR,
Military personal number 4368517
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 15 Apr.]

SERGIO YAHNI
Military personal number 4366865
Reservists Company,
Military Prison no. 6,
Military Postal code 01860, IDF
Israel
[Due out on 15 Apr.]
Messages can also be sent to mailto:rtic at alt-info.org or AIC, POB 31417,
Jerusalem.


RECOMMENDED ACTION
******************

First of all, please circulate this message and the information contained in
it as widely as possible, not only through e-mail, but also on websites,
conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.

Please send the prisoners your messages of support to the addresses above.
Also, please send letters of protest on behalf of the objectors to:

Mr. Binyamin Ben-Eliezer,
Minister of Defence,
Ministry of Defence,
37 Kaplan st.,
Tel-Aviv 61909,
Israel.
e-mail: mailto:sar at mod.gov.il or mailto:pniot at mod.gov.il
Fax: ++972-3-696-27-57 / ++972-3-691-69-40 / ++972-3-691-79-15

Copies can be sent to the commanders of the prisons at:

Commander of Military Prison No. 6,
Military Prison No. 6,
Military postal number 01860,
IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-4-869-28-84

Commander of Military Prison No. 4,
Military Prison No. 4,
Military postal number 02507,
IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-957-52-76

Another useful address for sending copies would be the Military Attorney
General:

Brig. Gen. Menachem Finklestein
Chief Military Attorney
Military postal code 9605
IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-569-43-70

In the cases of Yair Khilou, Ig'al Rosenberg and Ilan Windholz it would be
especially useful to send
copies of your appeals to:

Deborah Chassid
Commander of Induction Base, Tel-Hashomer
Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52

Addresses of additional military and government officials, as well as those
of some Israeli media, to which you can send copies of your appeals, can be
found at this web address:
http://www.newprofile.org/english/Summery_CO_01.html (see the bottom of the
page)

Note that writing to media is now more important than ever.

A standard sample letter is available at the bottom of the same web page
(http://www.newprofile.org/english/Summery_CO_01.html#sample). However note
that it would be advisable to adjust your letter to the particular
circumstances of the case.

But of course, many other things can be done apart from letter-writing. Any
form of public support for objectors and public denouncing of war crimes is
welcome, be it in the form of holding vigils, painting graffiti on walls or
whatever.

Finally, Yesh-Gvul issued a call for groups to "adopt" objectors. For
further information on this initiative, please contact
mailto:peretz at yesh-gvul.org.

All the best and thanks,
Sergeiy Sandler - New Profile.


PS: For those among you who got this message forwarded or read it on a
website - you can receive updates and information about imprisoned objectors
directly by subscribing to a mailing list especially dedicated to this
subject. To subscribe, send a blank message to:
mailto:NewProfileCO-subscribe at topica.com.