Israeli court extends detention of jailed teen, mother

Ersin Çelik
09:1320/12/2017, Wednesday
U: 20/12/2017, Wednesday
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Ahed Tamimi
Ahed Tamimi

16-year-old Ahed al-Tamimi – and her mother – were both arrested on Tuesday by Israeli security forces

An Israeli court on Monday extended the detention of 16-year-old Palestinian girl Ahed al-Tamimi -- and her mother, Nariman -- for another two days.

Ahed was arrested during a raid by Israeli security forces on her home in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh early Tuesday.

Ahed’s mother was arrested shortly afterward when she visited a detention center east of Ramallah to check on her detained daughter.

“We were told by our lawyer that the military court in the Ofer Prison had extended the detention period -- for both Ahed and Nariman -- until Thursday,” Bassem al-Tamimi, Nariman’s husband, told Anadolu Agency.

In 2012, Ahed was awarded the Hanzala Courage Award by Istanbul’s Basaksehir Municipality for defying Israeli soldiers who had just arrested her brother.

At the time, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (now president) and his wife had met the Palestinian girl to convey their admiration for her bravery.

Ahed’s father, mother and brothers have all been repeatedly arrested by the authorities for their fierce opposition to Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land.

Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s hardline defense minister, said Tuesday that the Palestinian teenager would not be the only one to bear the consequences of her actions.

"Everyone around her -- not only the girl, but also her relatives -- will not escape what they deserve," Lieberman said at a meeting with Jewish community leaders near the border with the Gaza Strip.

Tension has mounted in the Palestinian territories since U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Dec. 6, sparking protests and condemnation across the Arab and Muslim world.

Since then, 11 Palestinians have been martyred -- and over 3,000 injured -- in clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

According to official Palestinian figures, more than 6,400 Palestinians -- including a number of children -- are currently languishing in Israeli prisons.

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