Appeal to Reopen the Case
Filed
on behalf of the Aramin family, by Israeli Attorney Michael Sfard in association
with Yesh Din - Volunteers for Human Rights on Oct. 1, 2007
Will the Israeli State Attorney's Office respond, as required by
law, in March 2008?
On
January 16th 2007, ten year old Abir Aramin, daughter of noted Palestinian
human rights activist Bassam Aramin, was shot in the head by Israeli Border
Police as she was buying candy after school in Anata, near East Jerusalem.
She died three days later from her wounds. The police did not send an
investigation team to the scene of the crime until 5 days after the shooting.
The police closed the file three months later claiming lack of evidence
and saying that soldiers said they were fighting with children who they
claimed were throwing rocks. The soldiers acknowledged that stones were
not thrown at them from were Abir was standing, which was at least 200
meters away from the group of children who allegedly did throw stones.
The police investigation report raised the theory that Abir was not shot
but rather hit by a stone. However, according to Attorney Michael Sfard
in association with Yesh Din - Volunteers for Human Rights, 14 eye-witnesses
and an independent autopsy report submitted by the renowned Israeli pathologist,
Dr. Chen Kugel, demonstrate clearly that she was shot with a rubber-coated
bullet in the back of the head while running away.
According to the Israeli Human Rights group BTselem, 864 Palestinian minors have been killed since 2000 and not one case has been brought to justice. On October 1, 2007 on behalf of the Aramin family, Israeli Attorney Michael Sfard in association with Yesh Din - Volunteers for Human Rights filed an appeal to reopen the case. As of publication time, there has been no response from the Israeli State Attorney's office. The Aramin family fears that the State Attorneys will delay their response indefinitely and that the perpetrators of the crime of killing Abir Aramin will never be brought to justice, so they are seeking help from all who hear their story -- media, elected officials, citizens around the world -- to urge the Israeli court to respond to their appeal and reopen the case.
Rubber coated bullets are well known to be lethal when fired at close range. By all accounts, the soldiers who fired at Abir Aramin were not in mortal danger. They chose to use lethal force in proximity of three schools as school was letting out. The soldiers testified they were 80 meters away from Abir Aramin and her friends when shots were fired. Witnesses say they were 15 meters away. The Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem, in their report, "Rubber-Coated Steel Bullets," states the permission to fire potentially lethal rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians to disperse "violent riots" or demonstrations has led to the deaths of dozens of Palestinians. According to the Israeli Defense Force's Open Fire Regulations, the minimum range for firing "rubber" bullets is forty meters, and use is limited to specially trained personnel. The Open Fire Regulations emphasize that the bullets must be fired only at the individual's legs, and that they are not to be fired at children or from a moving vehicle. According to testimony provided to the Israeli Human Rights Group, "Breaking the Silence" rubber coated bullets are routinely misused, with platoon commanders explaining in soldiers' briefings, that shooting a single rubber bullet is the same as live shoot (whereas shooting a "tampon" package of three is less harmful). According to the sergeant's tesimony, "What I do know is that in the IDF they don't shoot tampons. They always shoot singles. I can say this with certainty from the highest ranks to the lowest. Everybody."
According to the Israeli Human Rights group BTselem, 864 Palestinian minors have been killed since 2000 and not one case has been brought to justice. On October 1, 2007 on behalf of the Aramin family, Israeli Attorney Michael Sfard in association with Yesh Din - Volunteers for Human Rights filed an appeal to reopen the case. As of publication time, there has been no response from the Israeli State Attorney's office. The Aramin family fears that the State Attorneys will delay their response indefinitely and that the perpetrators of the crime of killing Abir Aramin will never be brought to justice, so they are seeking help from all who hear their story -- media, elected officials, citizens around the world -- to urge the Israeli court to respond to their appeal and reopen the case.
Rubber coated bullets are well known to be lethal when fired at close range. By all accounts, the soldiers who fired at Abir Aramin were not in mortal danger. They chose to use lethal force in proximity of three schools as school was letting out. The soldiers testified they were 80 meters away from Abir Aramin and her friends when shots were fired. Witnesses say they were 15 meters away. The Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem, in their report, "Rubber-Coated Steel Bullets," states the permission to fire potentially lethal rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians to disperse "violent riots" or demonstrations has led to the deaths of dozens of Palestinians. According to the Israeli Defense Force's Open Fire Regulations, the minimum range for firing "rubber" bullets is forty meters, and use is limited to specially trained personnel. The Open Fire Regulations emphasize that the bullets must be fired only at the individual's legs, and that they are not to be fired at children or from a moving vehicle. According to testimony provided to the Israeli Human Rights Group, "Breaking the Silence" rubber coated bullets are routinely misused, with platoon commanders explaining in soldiers' briefings, that shooting a single rubber bullet is the same as live shoot (whereas shooting a "tampon" package of three is less harmful). According to the sergeant's tesimony, "What I do know is that in the IDF they don't shoot tampons. They always shoot singles. I can say this with certainty from the highest ranks to the lowest. Everybody."
