Prison Term for Conscientious Objector Idan Barir

- Please distribute widely -

Idan Barir, an activist of Combattants for Peace, was sentenced to 14 days in military prison for refusing to perform reserves service in the Occupied Territories.

We received news from our friends in Combattants for Peace that one of their activitsts, Idan Barir, has been imprisoned for his refusal to perform reserves service in the 1967 Occupied Territories. Idan, 29, from the Tel Aviv suburb of Givataim, has been sentenced on Monday (7 Dec.) to 14 days of incarceration, which he is now serving in Military Prison no. 6 near Atlit.

In a statement he released on the occassion of his imprisonment, Idan says:

I refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories because the Occupation makes the State of Israel perform illegal actions, defend outlaws and turn ordinary people like me into subcontractors for its crimes … Operation Cast Led and the loss of all proportion and all values that it embodied was the last straw that led to my refusal. The images I saw from this operation left me no choice but to refuse being part of the circle of bloodshed.

One of the things the encourages me the most as I am heading for prison are the determined and devoted Palestinian activists of Combatants for Peace, who every day and every moment are my living proof that there is a partner. Conscientious objection is nothing alien to them either. They refuse to be part of the cycle of violence and participate in violent actions against Israelis, and tangibly exemplify the fact that my refusal is but one element in a much greater whole, encompassing many on both sides, who want change.

Idan Barir is due to be released from prison on 18 December. His address in prison is:

Meanwhile, Or Ben-David has finished her second prison term and has decided to delay her return to another round of imprisonment for now. Walaa Naffaa is also delaying his return to prison. However, both are likely to spend more time behind bars. We will, of course, update on any further developments.

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, social networks, conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.

Other recommendations for action:

1. Sending Letters of Support

Please send the imprisoned objectors letters of support (preferably postcards or by fax) to the prison addresses above.

2. Letters to Authorities

It is recommended to send letters of protest on the objectors’ behalf, preferably by fax, to:

Copies of your letters can also be sent to the commander of the military prison at:

Another useful address for sending copies would be the Military Attorney General (note updated fax number):

For those of you who live outside Israel, it would be very effective to send protests to your local Israeli embassy. You can find the address of your local embassy on the web.

Here is a generic sample letter, which you can use in sending appeals to authorities on the prisoners’ behalf. Feel free to modify this letter or write your own:

3. Letters to media in Israel and in other countries

Writing op-ed pieces and letters to editors of media in Israel and other countries could also be quite useful in indirectly but powerfully pressuring the military authorities to let go of the objectors and in bringing their plight and their cause to public attention.

Here are some contact details for the main media outlets in Israel:

    Ma’ariv:
    2 Karlibach st.
    Tel-Aviv 67132
    Israel
    Fax: +972-3-561-06-14
    e-mail: editor@maariv.co.il
    Yedioth Aharonoth:
    2 Moses st.
    Tel-Aviv
    Israel
    Fax: +972-3-608-25-46
    Ha’aretz (Hebrew):
    21 Schocken st.
    Tel-Aviv, 61001
    Israel
    Fax: +972-3-681-00-12
    Ha’aretz (English edition):
    21 Schocken st.
    Tel-Aviv, 61001
    Israel
    Fax: +972-3-512-11-56
    e-mail: letters@haaretz.co.il
    Radio (fax numbers):
    Kol-Israel +972-2-531-33-15
    Galei Zahal +972-3-512-67-20
    and +972-3-694-47-09
    Television (fax numbers):
    Channel 1 +972-2-530-15-36
    Channel 2 +972-2-533-98-09
    Channel 10 +972-3-733-16-66

We will continue updating on further developments.

December 9, 2009 | Filed Under In Prison Now  | |

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