12 February 2014
Occupied Ramallah
Mahmoud Hassan, the Legal Unit coordinator at Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, reported that Ofer Military court issued a 22-month sentence and 6,000 NIS fine against human rights defender Hasan Karajah. Hassan added that the court’s decision also includes a 24-month suspended sentence in effect for 5 years. During this period, Karajeh may be rearrested for an automatic two-year period. Karajah is expected to be released in October 2014.
Hasan Yaser Karajah (age 29) was arrested from his home in Saffa village on 23 January 2013. During the course of his 35-day interrogation, the IOF attempted to extract a confession by subjecting Karajah to sleep deprivation and threating that they would re-arrest his sister who was previously released during the recent prisoners exchange deal. He was also denied visits from his lawyer for 14 days.
The Israeli military prosecution leveled a list of charges against him after several months of imprisonment on 9 April 2013, including “affiliation with an illegal organization,” and “communication with foreign parties.”
Karajah was the youth coordinator of Stop the Wall organization for two years. He also served as a youth ambassador for Palestine at the Arab Thought forum. Karajah also plays a significant role in the BDS movement and in various solidarity campaigns that support the cause of Palestinian prisoners.
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association confirms that Karajah’s arrest and sentencing are part of the occupation’s policy of targeting human rights defenders. Such targeted arrests aim to obstruct peaceful methods of resistance, especially the BDS campaign, which has become a great concern to the occupation.
For more on Hasan‘s arrest and detention, please visit his prisoner profile here.