Amnesty demands release of Palestinian teen held for assault

15th JANUARY, 2018- Amnesty International on Monday demanded the release of a 16-year-old Palestinian girl who was detained by Israeli authorities after a video of her slapping and hitting Israeli soldiers went viral on social media.

The Ofer military court will decide later on Monday whether to release Tamimi on bail or keep her in jail for the remainder of her trial. The teen faces 12 criminal charges including assault and incitement.
“Nothing that Ahed Tamimi has done can justify the continuing detention of a 16-year-old girl,” Magdalena Mughrabi of Amnesty International said in a statement.

The trial “exposes the Israeli authorities’ discriminatory treatment of Palestinian children who dare to stand up to ongoing, often brutal, repression by occupying forces,” Mugrabi added. Over 300 Palestinian minors are being held in Israeli prisons. Tamimi has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation.