Islam Times - Amnesty International calls on Israel to free Palestinian prisoner

Islam Times - Amnesty International (AI) has called on Israel to free a Palestinian activist, who was handed down a four-month prison sentence for participating in a demonstration against illegal Israeli settlements.

On Tuesday, a military court in Israel sentenced Bassem Tamimi and fined him 5,000 shekels (1,283 US dollars) for joining a demonstration last month, activists said.

On Wednesday, AI's Middle East and North Africa director Philip Luther called Tamimi a "prisoner of conscience" who should be released immediately.

"This unjust jail sentence is the latest example of Israel’s harassment of Bassem Tamimi, who has been persecuted solely for peacefully protesting against Israel’s illegal settlements," said Luther.

"Bassem Tamimi has a long record of peaceful protest, and this court hearing showed that even the military prosecution has acknowledged he did not use or advocate violence at the demonstration,” he added.

On October 24, Israeli forces arrested Tamimi during a demonstration against Israeli occupation in a Geva Binyamin settlement, north of al-Quds.

The international community regards all the Israeli settlements across the West Bank as illegal under international law.

Nearly 500,000 Israelis live in more than 100 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).