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PHRMG Hotline Update # 9/2002

Jerusalem, July 14, 2002

PHRMG Demands Reopening File on Shalash Murder, Based on New Evidence

On February 17, 2000, Mohammed Shalash, an 18 year old student, was killed by a bullet in his forehead, shot at close range, as he traveled home from school. Two suspects, settlers Yair Ben-Ami and Asher Amram, were arrested and after a minimal investigation, confessed that one had fired live rounds “into the air” at the scene of the homicide. The murder suspects were then released, purportedly for insufficient evidence and the case was later closed without further procedure or stated reason.

PHRMG has appealed the district attorney’s decision to close the murder case of young Shalash on the basis of new evidence obtained by PHRMG. When the Israeli police failed to do a proper job in investigating the crime, PHRMG obtained an eyewitness affidavit from a student who was with Shalash at the time of the murder. The failure of the police to interview any Palestinian eyewitnesses- there were two- before closing a murder case is shocking. PHRMG also questions why the murder suspects were not more thoroughly questioned, when one openly confessed to firing shots at the scene and time of the murder and why there was not further investigation of the two suspects’ contradictory statements. The Israeli police also failed to perform ballistic tests on the bullets to determine the type and ownership of the weapon.

This is not the only case of police negligence and prosecutorial haste to close murder cases. To our knowledge, there has not been one single case of murder committed by a settler that has been prosecuted since the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000, despite the numerous cases of Palestinians killed. (PHRMG is directly involved in six such murder cases.) PHRMG will continue to try to force Israeli law enforcement authorities to comply with their duty under both international and domestic law to find and punish these and other settler criminals.

PHRMG Victory in Zelter Assault Case-Case is Reopened & Trial Date Set

On August 29, 2001, Angela Zelter, a British peace activist working in the Old City of Hebron, was verbally abused and assaulted by an armed settler who beat her on the head, violently wrestled a camera off her neck, and then smashed it on the ground. Nearby soldiers witnessed the entire attack. Israeli police arrived at the crime scene and arrested the suspect. Amazingly, this case was dropped by the Israeli police, despite the fact that the criminal was arrested at the scene of the crime and the existence of several eyewitnesses. The stated reason was that Ms. Zelter had returned home- this despite the fact that her attorney had advised them of Ms. Zelter’s willingness to return to Jerusalem for trial.

After repeatedly demanding that the district attorney reopen this case, PHRMG recently received confirmation that a trial will be held in September on Ms. Zelter’s case. The evidence is clear and, if the police and prosecutors do their jobs, this should be a simple “open and shut” case.

Settler violence is an almost daily fact of life in the Occupied Territories and takes a tremendous toll upon the Palestinian population. It cannot be ignored by human rights organizations.