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News > World

Israel to Charge Iconic Palestinian Teen Activist Ahed Tamimi

  • Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi enters an Israeli courtroom escorted at Ofer Prison near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Dec. 28, 2017.

    Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi enters an Israeli courtroom escorted at Ofer Prison near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Dec. 28, 2017. | Photo: Reuters

Published 28 December 2017
Opinion

Despite international calls for her release, Tamimi continues to be detained and will face charges.

The iconic 16-year old Palestinian activist Ahed al-Tamimi, who has fearlessly stood up to the Israeli military occupation numerous times, is facing charges at an Israeli cmilitary court after she was arrested two weeks ago.

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At a hearing Thursday near Ramallah, Israeli court prosecutors announced their decision to indict the young “heroine” on charges that include aggravated assault and insulting a soldier.

Israeli soldiers raided Tamimi's home and whisked her away on Dec. 18, three days after a video of her standing up to an Israeli soldier was posted on the internet and had gone viral. In the video, the teenager is seen shouting at the soldiers to leave in front of her family’s home in Nabi Saleh, a village in the occupied West Bank.

Shortly after she was detained, her father, Bassem Tamimi confirmed the news on Facebook.

"Dear friends, Israeli occupation forces raided my home and arrested my daughter Ahed Tamimi. They beat us, searched our home and confiscated all our electronic devices, including cameras, computers, and mobile phones," he wrote.

Tamimi, along with her cousin Nour and her mother Nariman, remain detained despite international calls for her release. In fact, Tamimi’s detention will be extended for several days as prosecutors prepare the charges.

She first gained worldwide attention in 2010, when a photograph of her circulated in international in which she stands before a soldier with her fist raised.

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In 2015, she once again earned the admiration of Palestine solidarity activists worldwide after photos and videos circulated of the then-14-year-old – along with her female cousin, her aunt and her mother – fighting an Israeli occupation soldier who was pinning down her 12-year old male cousin. In the photo, Ahed can be seen biting the soldier's hand after he smacked her in the face.

The Tamimi family are popular advocates for the Palestinian cause in the village, which is the site of weekly protests against the Israeli occupation.

The hashtag #FreeAhedTamimi began circulating on Twitter and memes calling for her release in English and Arabic have been shared across social media.

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