Police and judge co-operate to "fix up" left opponents of Arafat
Palestinians get Irish treatment
Following one of the most highly politicised trials for many years in a British court, two Palestinians living in London have been unjustly convicted of conspiracy to cause explosions and sentenced to twenty years in prison, followed by deportation from Britain. Roland Rance Samar Alami and Jawad Botmeh are leftwing critics of Yassir Arafat's capitulation to US and Israeli pressure. Both continue to maintain their innocence.
The charges resulted from bomb attacks on the Israeli Embassy in London and on the London office of the Joint Israel Appeal (generally and erroneously referred to in the press as "Jewish" targets) in July 1994. The only defendant charged with personal involvement in these attacks, Nadia Zekra, was discharged by the judge when it became NEW TORY clear that there was not a scrap of evidence against her. Despite this, and the fact that no evidence linked Samar and Jawad to the bombings, the judge, in a biased summation, informed the jury that "Jawad was the driver, and Samar the bomb-maker".
Samar and Jawad, described by the prosecution as "Marxist-Leninist terrorists". admitted in court the possession of explosive materials and firearms, but denied that this was illegal. They argued that they were studying ways to assist their unarmed compatriots under occupation to defend themselves against the unrelenting aggression of the Israeli army. This was justified under international law, as legitimate self defence. At the same time, they denied any connection with or information regarding explosions carried out or planned in Britain; they DANGER opposed any such attacks, which they said damaged the cause of Palestinian liberation.
Their defence was supported by several
Who are the real conspirators?
Samar Alami's letter to her friends and supporters following the sentencing
A grave injustice has taken place. We have never been part of any conspiracy. We have never taken part in any crime. We have never sought, acted or intended in any way to endanger life or property.
The only conspiracy we have known is a conspiracy against our innocence, against the truth... and justice. A silent conspiracy, where the engine for the case was to secure convictions and then to follow that up with a media circus... a meal out of our lives.
Justice has been aborted. The only things served in this case have been vested political and career interests. Prejudice has prevailed, truth and untruth were blurred. It did not seem to matter what you do or say; what you did not, would not or could not do.
There was a refusal to look at realities and evidence; instead, broad possibilities, vague enormous 'deductions' and baseless 'inferences' were accepted. Clear indications to the contrary were simply ignored. We spoke the truth, but it seems even truth is selectively accepted, and moreover, we are punished for it. The reality is that from the outset we have been presumed guilty and nobody wanted to let go of that regardless of the facts. Incredibly, most parts of the case are 8 International Viewpoint unresolved. The bits and pieces found or provided by us were 'stretched' to resolve the case on our backs. It is us who were fitted to the police and Crown Prosecution Service framework, that is the reality.
We are no terrorists. We ask: Who are the terrorists? who are the criminals? We do not believe in violence or terror to resolve problems or conflicts, or that the end necessarily justifies the means. 'Doing something' is not 'doing anything'. In principle or in practice, what we believed in and what we did were clear to us.
To add insult to injury, we have been accused of being part of some kind of an 'anti-Jewish' campaign and 'plotting to attack Jewish targets'. We never did or thought of any such idea or attempt. We have never carried any 'antiJewish' feeling or action of any kind. Such accusations are hateful and unacceptable. I challenge anyone to come up with one example to indicate these rubbish suggestions.
We believe in democracy, universal inalienable rights, dignity and freedom. We have sought humble contributions to the legitimate struggle of our people for its basic rights and freedom, including the right of self determination. Yes, we have thought of possibilities of armed resistance as a last and limited resort, and possibilities/ideas of self-defence and protection for a dispossessed and oppressed people facing daily aggression, violence, terror, brutality and varied threats to its existence and basic humanity (especially when other means are hardly available or enough).
We are thus not guilty of any crime. As such, we are fully committed to the just cause of our people (and are prepared for the consequences), in that respect our lives and freedom are no dearer (and no cheaper) than the thousands before us... and after us, no doubt.
We have lived here for years respectfully. Nothing and nobody can make us terrorists or criminals. We are innocent actually and morally. It is a tragedy to say the least that a guilty verdict was reached, we hope we are not the only ones who do not believe or accept it. For a grave injustice has occurred, but the truth will prevail over the evil powers) of the real conspirators. *
(Note to some of the newspapers: 1 never read one book of Marx... 1 am ashamed to say).
Samar Alami
expert witnesses, who testified regarding the events of 1948, the nature of the Israeli occupation since 1967 and the characters of the defendants. These witnesses included former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Gilmour, Palestinian Jewish academic and activist Dr Uri Davis, and journalists and aid workers with lengthy experience in the Middle East.
Defence solicitor Gareth Pierce, a veteran of most political trials in Britain for the past 20 years,? has described the case as a miscarriage of justice. She points out a long list of material irregularities and flaws in the evidence presented against Samar and Jawad. Many key questions remain unanswered: who were the "Jaffa" team that claimed responsibility for the bombings? Who wrote the claim letters? Who planned and prepared the targets? Who bought and drove the two bomb cars and rigged the number plates? Who made the bombs and where? Where were the cars stored? Who bought the chemicals? What kind of explosives were used in the actual bombings? No evidence was presented to suggest that the defendants had any connection with these acts.
Some evidence was clearly farcical. For instance, the letter in which unknown people claimed responsibility for the explosions was mistranslated by the police; where the original had called on "Palestinians in Lebanon" to resist Israeli aggression, the translation presented to the court referred to "Palestinians in London." A map found in Samar's flat, allegedly of the area around the Joint Israel Appeal office in North London, turned out to be of Sidon in South Lebanon. The outright contradictory identification evidence of the alleged bomber led to the dismissal by the judge of the charges against Nadia Zekra.
An appeal has been lodged on the grounds of the judge's prejudicial summingup, his refusal to take any action when an Israeli journalist attempted to interfere with a juror, and the broadcasting of a TV programme about a convicted Palestinian hijacker - which the judge advised the jury to watch! This contributed to a climate in which all Palestinians - even left-wing secularists - are portrayed as fanatical, bloodthirsty, Jewhating Islamic fundamentalists. Like Irish prisoners, it is difficult for Palestinians to receive a fair hearing in a British court. * 1. A campaign is underway to secure their release and Notes vindication. BM FOSA, London WCIN 3XX. They are held in high security prisons, far from their families and friends, and even further from their homeland. They need confirmation that their situation is known. Two other defendants were acquitted. 2. Representing the Bradford 12, Judith Ward, several of the Birmingham 6 and Guildford 4, and countless others.
Britain *