Palestinian activist’s Australian visa cancelled on eve of speaking tour/Attack on free speech
VISA OF PALESTINIAN ACTIVIST BASSEM TAMINI REVOKED
HOURS BEFORE TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA/LETTER TO AMBASSADOR
OF AUSTRALIA
SEE ALSO
TO
THE AMBASSADOR OF AUSTRALIA IN THE NETHERLANDS
HIS EXCELLENCY
Dr B. MASON
Subject:
A demand to use your influence to revise the decision
to revoke the visa of Mr Bassem Tamini, a non violent Palestinian
activist
Dear Mr Ambassador,
The decision of the Australian Immigration Department
to revoke the visa of Mr Bassem Ramini, a non violent
Palestinian activist [1], is an utter scandal and I demand from you
to use your influence to give Mr Ramini the chance to visit Australia.
In the first place it is an attack of the freedom of speech.
Equally wrong and perhaps still worse is that the Australian
authorities, by taking such a decision, are supporting Israeli
occupation and settlement’s policy, thus violating
International Law.
Besides:
The reason the Immigration Department gives for its decision,
is shameless and ridiculius
I quote from ABC News Australia
’’"The department has recently been made aware of information that indicates there is a risk that members of the public will react adversely to Mr Tamimi’s presence in Australia regarding his views of the ongoing political tensions in the Middle East," [2]
Even when this is true, it is nonsense.
Like Israel supporters have the right to express their opinion freely
[unless it is racist, of course], mr Ramini has the right to express
his point of view.
But what’s worse according to my opinion, is the protection, by the authorities,
of the Israeli occupation and settlements policy.
Because what’s the reason of mr Tamini’s visit?
To speak out against the Israeli settlements in the West Bank.[3]
I don’t think it’s necessary to remind you of the facts, that all
the Israeli settlements, built on occupied Palestinian territories,
are illegal according to International Law. [4]
That the [nearly] 50 years Israeli occupation, which made the settlements
building possible, is not only inhuman and oppressive and has led to
numerous warcrimes, like the bloody agression wars on Gaza [5],
but is, like every other occupation in the world, an utter violation
of International Law.
Here embodied in UN Resolution 242,, 1967, which demanded from
Israel, to withdraw from all conquered areas in the june war [1967],
among else the Palestinian. [6]
By revolking the visa of an activist, who speaks out
against the injustice of the settlements and the occupation,
the Australian government de facto is supporting occupation,
oppression, warcrimes and crimes against humanity, like the
Gaza Blockade. [7]
Are the Australian authorities pointing at his earlier conviction
by an Israeli military Court [an example of serious
discrimination anyway, since only Palestinians appear for
a military Court, not Israeli settlers] [8]
Then know, that Amnesty International considered Tamini as
a ’’prisoner of conscience’’, and that the EU called him a ’’human rights defender’’
. [9]
As well Amnesty International as the EU considered the conviction
of Mr Tamini as a travesty of justice, [10]
Therefore I expect from you to use your influence and show your
government on its obligations according to International Law.
Pressure them to give mr Ramini the opportunity to visit
Australia, to utter his opinion and to defend International
Law.
I count on you.
Kind greetings
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
NOTES
[1]
ABC AUSTRALIA
VISA OF PALESTINIAN ACTIVIST BASSEM TAMINI REVOKED
HOURS BEFORE TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA
http://www.abc.net.au/news/201 7-04-08/visa-of-prominent-pale stinian-activist-bassem-tamimi -revoked/8428054
’’The EU considers Bassem Tamimi to be a ’human rights defender’ committed to non-violent protest against the expansion of an Israeli settlement on lands belonging to his West Bank village of Nabi Saleh.’’
STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESPERSON OF HIGH REPRESENTATIVE
CATHERINE ASHTON ON THE CASE OF BASSEM TAMINI
22 MAY 2012
http://www.consilium.europa.eu /uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdat a/EN/foraff/130332.pdf
[2]
’’"The department has recently been made aware of information that indicates there is a risk that members of the public will react adversely to Mr Tamimi’s presence in Australia regarding his views of the ongoing political tensions in the Middle East,"
ABC AUSTRALIA
VISA OF PALESTINIAN ACTIVIST BASSEM TAMINI REVOKED
HOURS BEFORE TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA
http://www.abc.net.au/news/201 7-04-08/visa-of-prominent-pale stinian-activist-bassem-tamimi -revoked/8428054
[3]
’’Bassem al-Tamimi (Arabic: باسم التميمي, born c. 1967[1]) is a Palestinian activist and an organizer of protests against Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank. ’’
WIKIPEDIA
BASSEM AL-TAMINI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Bassem_al-Tamimi
[4]
THE ILLEGALITY OF THE ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS
”The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits an occupying power from transferring citizens from its own territory to the occupied territory (Article 49).
The Hague Regulations prohibit an occupying power from undertaking permanent changes in the occupied area unless these are due to military needs in the narrow sense of the term, or unless they are undertaken for the benefit of the local population.”
BTSELEM.ORG
LAND EXPROPRIATION AND SETTLEMENTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL
LAW
http://www.btselem.org/settlem ents/international_law
”Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive.”
ARTICLE 49, FOURTH GENEVA CONVENTION
https://www.icrc.org/applic/ih l/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=o penDocument&documentId=77068F1 2B8857C4DC12563CD0051BDB0
HAGUE CONVENTION 1907
http://www.opbw.org/int_inst/s ec_docs/1907HC-TEXT.pdf
[5]
ISRAELI MILITARY ATTACKS ON GAZA
”PROTECTIVE EDGE” 2014
FRAGMENTED LIVES
HUMANITARIAN OVERVIEW 2014
MARCH 2015
http://reliefweb.int/sites/rel iefweb.int/files/resources/ann ual_humanitarian_overview_2014 _english_final.pdf
[6]
WIKIPEDIA
UNITED NATION SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 242
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ United_Nations_Security_Counci l_Resolution_242
[7]
BTSELEM.ORG
THE SIEGE ON GAZA
http://www.btselem.org/gaza_ strip/siege
BBC
UN OFFICIAL SLAMS ISRAEL ”CRIMES”
10 DECEMBER 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ middle_east/7774988.stm
BLOCKADE ON GAZA/CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY
ASTRID ESSED
14 FEBRUARY 2008
http://la.indymedia.org/news/ 2008/02/213864.php
[8]
”A new report published by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) outlines the nature of the legal regime currently operating in the West Bank. Two systems of law are applied in a single territory: one – a civilian legal system for Israeli citizens, and a second – a military court system for Palestinian residents. The result: institutionalized discrimination.”
ACRI [ASSOCIATION FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN ISRAEL]
ONE RULE, TWO LEGAL SYSTEMS: ISRAEL’S REGIME OF LAWS
IN THE WEST BANK
24 NOVEMBER 2014
http://www.acri.org.il/en/2014 /11/24/twosysreport/
REPORT
14 OCTOBER 2014
ACRI [ASSOCIATION FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN ISRAEL]
ONE RULE, TWO LEGAL SYSTEMS: ISRAEL’S REGIME OF LAWS
IN THE WEST BANK
http://www.acri.org.il/en/wp-c ontent/uploads/2015/02/Two-Sys tems-of-Law-English-FINAL.pdf
”The laws implemented in the West Bank are inequitable and discriminate against Palestinians. Although the settlers live in the same geographical area in which martial law is imposed, Israel has decided that they are not subject to military law, but rather to Israeli law. The application of two distinct legal systems in a single territory constitutes gross discrimination”
BTSELEM.ORG
MILITARY LAW
http://www.btselem.org/demonst rations/military_law
[9]
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
ISRAELI AUTHORITIES MUST RELEASE PALESTINIAN
PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE IN WEST BANK
1 NOVEMBER 2012
http://www.amnestyusa.org/ news/press-releases/israeli- authorities-must-release- palestinian-prisoner-of- conscience-in-west-bank-0
STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESPERSON OF HIGH REPRESENTATIVE
CATHERINE ASHTON ON THE CASE OF BASSEM TAMINI
22 MAY 2012
http://www.consilium.europa.eu /uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdat a/EN/foraff/130332.pdf
[10]
’’Once again, Bassem Tamimi is being held solely for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression and assembly. We believe he is a prisoner of conscience and should be released immediately and unconditionally," said Ann Harrison, deputy Middle East and North Africa program director at Amnesty International.’’
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
ISRAELI AUTHORITIES MUST RELEASE PALESTINIAN
PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE IN WEST BANK
1 NOVEMBER 2012
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news /press-releases/israeli-author ities-must-release-palestinian -prisoner-of-conscience-in- west-bank-0
’’The EU considers Bassem Tamimi to be a ’human rights defender’ committed to non-violent protest against the expansion of an Israeli settlement on lands belonging to his West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. The EU attended all court hearings in his case and is concerned at the use of evidence based on the testimony of a minor who was interrogated in violation of his rights. The EU believes that everyone should be able to exercise their legitimate right to protest in a nonviolent manner."
STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESPERSON OF HIGH REPRESENTATIVE
CATHERINE ASHTON ON THE CASE OF BASSEM TAMINI
22 MAY 2012
http://www.consilium.europa.eu /uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdat a/EN/foraff/130332.pdf