Um Ibrahim Al Saadi; my despair

Monday September 10, 2007 14:03 by Ali Samoudi - IMEMC News

Palestinian school-children and their families in the West Bank refugee camp near Jenin greeted the new school year with overwhelming happiness as schools provided by UNRWA opened after the holidays. But Nawal Al Saadi( Um Ibrahim),wife and mother, was not able to share those feelings. Her son, Izz al Din, for the second year in succession will not be starting school today. More than a year ago he was abducted by the Israeli authorities and he is now in administrative detention for the second time. He was first held in 2003 following the abduction of his father, Bassam Al Saadi, a prominent figure in Islamic Jihad.

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As she was helping the rest of her children prepare for school Um Ibrahim was unable to hide her feelings. Knowing that Izz's seat in class will be empty again this year as he languishes in an Israeli jail along with his father she said "I feel sad for Izz al Din; he hasn't been able to go to school since last year just because he is the son of Bassam Al Saadi who the Israelis say is one Islamic Jihad's leaders. He was taken away for the first time a few days after his father's abduction. They wanted to put pressure on Bassam while he was being interrogated and tortured for three months in the al Jalamah detention center".She added that Izz was initially held soon after his two brothers, Ibrahim and Abdel Karim, were killed by the Israeli army. He spent more than a year under arrest, released and then abducted again shortly afterwards. The Israeli army ransacked their home and searched it under the pretext of pursuing her brother, Sheikh Mahmoud Al Saadi, who was at the time on their wanted list.

Unjustified abduction

Um Ibrahim recalled that when her husband was abducted Israeli Intelligence threatened to kidnap all the family and abducted Izz to prize a confession from Bassam. They then moved him to the al Naqab detention facility where he was put into administrative detention without any charges. She added that during the whole period of his arrest he was not interrogated and that his lawyer had demanded that the military court reveal the reasons for the abduction. His representative also argued that as a minor he should be released immediately as Israeli Intelligence had not charged him with anything and therefore his abduction was illegal. The court rejected these pleas and upheld the Attorney-General's claim that the existence of a confidential file on Izz was sufficient justification for his arrest.

Renewing the administrative detention

Um Ibrahim said "His lawyer, supported by several legal and human rights organizations, filed several complaints against the Israeli Minister of Police demanding Izz's release as our family is suffering great hardship because of Israeli actions which have killed two of his brothers, his grandmother and cousin. But the Israeli authorities have just continued to renew his detention in violation of International law depriving him of all his rights. He has not even been allowed visits since he was kidnapped."

Further detention before the new school year

Um Ibrahim was hoping to see her son free for the start of the new school year.Izz's lawyer again petitioned the court for his release from illegal detention so that he could re-start his education. The whole family was shocked when the Israeli authorities simply ordered his detention for a further six months - the third time this happened. It means that he will be deprived of his legitimate right to study for the second consecutive year.

We are all kidnapped

When informed of the court's decision Um Ibrahim said "There are no words that can describe the feelings of sadness and bitterness that have descended on us all again when we saw Izz's friends going back to school while the Izz is unable to go. They have even deprived all the administrative detainees of continuing their schooling inside the jails. It is a harsh punishment that gives me the feeling that we are all detainees in Israeli jails. We are suffering a living hell made worse by the fact that my husband, Sheikh Bassam, is suffering in the harsh conditions of Asqalan detention facility. We are prevented from visiting him and he is banned from calling his family along with all the other detainees. The prison administration had refused to put him in the same prison as his son."

A plea

Um Ibrahim, despite all the awful memories of abductions and killings, is trying to keep the family going in their home in a refugee camp near the city of Jenin. Of the occupation she says "It has deprived me of my twin sons, my husband and now my son, Izz. He is the eldest of his siblings and now holds responsibility for the family. . We are calling on international human rights organizations to exert pressure on the Israeli authorities to release him; he is in detention without charge and we need him at home. He should have the right to return to his family and his school so he can live without restrictions in security, stability and without fear of being kidnapped."

Translated by Manar Jibrin

jenin | prisoners | human interest manarjibrin at gmail dot com