The Price of Freedom

Dear friend,

In Palestine, freedom, even as limited a freedom as we are allowed, sometime has a price tag attached to it. In the case of my friend and comrade Hassan Brijiah, that price is a random 10,000 Shekels (2,650 USD) sum. A member of the al-Ma'asara Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, Hassan was arrested during one of our peaceful weekly demonstrations on December 9th, 2011. He was arrested for nothing more than trying to peacefully walk past a line of soldiers towards his lands (click here for a video of his arrest). For this, he is ridiculously charged with assault.

For this crime, an Israeli military judge decided to order Hassan's arrest until the end of legal proceedings. He did so after and despite watching the footage depicting the arrest. Twenty days later, at his lawyers' request, the court of appeals has finally agreed to release him, but on the condition that he deposit a 10,000 Shekels bond as bail, which he cannot afford. We urgently need your support to secure his release.

This is not Hassan's first encounter with Israel's dubious "justice". In fact, he has already been convicted three times for his continued participation in our peaceful demonstrations. The charges he has faced before are just as ridiculous as the ones he faces today: Damaging the sovereign's symbols, activity against public order and participating in an unpermitted march.

Hassan is an avid campaigner for justice, undeterred by the price he has already been forced to pay. For the past five years, week in, week out, Hassan has almost not missed a single demonstration, but now he cannot afford to post the 10,000 Shekels bail.

In Palestine, where freedom is always limited, Hassan's release from the Ofer Prison depends on our ability to raise 10,000 Shekels. Countless others are in the same position.

Sincerely,
Mahmoud Zwahre
The al-Ma'asara Popular Committee

ENDS

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