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The Israeli military trial of a*Palestinian*teenager charged after a video showing her slapping two soldiers went viral began today.
The judge,*Lieutenant Colonel Menachem Lieberman, ordered journalists to be removed from the courtroom and ruled that open proceedings would not be in the interest of 17-year-old Ahed Tamimi, who is being tried as a minor.*
'I didn't think it's good for the minor that there are 100 people in the courtroom,' he said.
Only family members were allowed to remain with diplomats from both nations also asked to leave.
A large crowd of journalists had shown up to cover the trial of Tamimi, whose case has gained international attention.
Trials of minors in military court are typically closed, but Tamimi's lawyer said previous hearings for the teenager were open and she argued for it to remain that way.
Ahed Tamimi, who turned 17 in prison last month, appeared fresh and confident as she was led into a courtroom packed with journalists and foreign diplomats.*
A well-known campaigner against Israel's occupation, Tamimi stands for the beginning of her trial in the Israeli military court at Ofer military prison in the West Bank village of Betunia
RELATED ARTICLESPalestinian girl, 17, is arrested after she was filmed slapping Israeli soldiers in the West Bank 'in attempt to provoke them'Israel extends custody of Palestinian girl, 16, caught on video slapping two soldiers despite her lawyer's claims it violates international conventions*
She briefly gestured to relatives in the back of the room before the judge ordered everyone out except her family.
'Stay strong! Stay strong!' shouted her father, Bassem Tamimi.
After the prosecution read the indictment, the trial was adjourned until next month.*
Tamimi's mother, Nariman, and cousin Nour, 20, are also due to go on trial later today.
Ahed Tamimi and her mother will be held in custody until the end of the proceedings, while her cousin has been released on bail.
'They understand that people outside Ofer military court are interested in Ahed's case, they understand that her rights are being infringed and her trial is something that shouldn't be happening,' Tamimi's lawyer Gaby Lasky told journalists after having unsuccessfully objected to the judge's decision to close the trial.
'So the way to keep it out of everybody's eyes is to close doors and not allow people inside the court for her hearing.'**
Speaking in court, Lasky said she considers the session as an organ of what she described as an 'illegal occupation' and that the indictment must be thrown out.
'It is a trial of occupation,' Lasky told reporters after the session. 'This is a court of occupation, and Ahed was resisting occupation.'*
The judge ejected journalists from the courtroom, saying their presence would not be in favour of the minor
Several senior Israeli officials have called for harsh punishment for Tamimi, describing her either as a terrorist, a serial troublemaker or a gullible teen being cynically manipulated by others.
Earlier in the day, Tamimi's father said he came to court 'with no good expectations, because this a military court and it's part of the Israeli military occupation.'
Bassem Tamimi added that 'having people attend the court - journalists, consuls, diplomats, observers and lawyers - is very important because it keeps them safe and makes us feel that those in court are safe.'
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has criticised Israeli authorities' actions in the case, while the European Union has expressed concern over Israel's detention of minors, including Ahed Tamimi.
Amnesty International has called for her immediate release, saying her 'continued detention is a desperate attempt to intimidate Palestinian children who dare to stand up to repression by occupying forces.'
Tamimi has been hailed as a hero by Palestinians who see her as bravely standing up to Israel's occupation of the West Bank.
Israelis accuse her family of using her as a pawn in staged provocations.*
The footage was taken in the wake of the riots which followed Donald Trump's announcement that the US embassy would move to JerusalemA then 12-year-old Ahed Tamimi shouts at an Israeli soldier during a protest in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh in 2012
She has been charged with 12 counts including assault and could face a lengthy jail term if convicted.
The charges relate to events in the video and five other incidents. They include stone-throwing, incitement and making threats.
The incident occurred during a day of clashes across the West Bank against US President Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Violence since Trump's decision has left 12 Palestinians dead with most killed in clashes with Israeli forces.
The Tamimi family says a relative was shot in the head with a rubber bullet during protests the same day the video was filmed.*
The footage shows Tamimi and her cousin approaching two Israeli soldiers and telling them to leave before shoving, kicking and slapping them.
The heavily armed soldiers do not respond in the face of what appears to be an attempt to provoke rather than seriously harm them.
She was praised for her actions by then Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who presented her with a 'courage' awardAhed was arrested alongside her mother*Nariman who was also involved in the altercationTamimi's lawyer said:*'The way to keep [the truth] out of everybody's eyes is to close doors and not allow people inside the court for her hearing'Tamimi, an icon for Palestinians, was filmed slapping two soldiers and faces charges in a military court.*Tamimi was seen smiling in court - she celebrated her seventeenth birthday less than two weeks agoTamimi has been marching since she was a young child. Here she is pictured (left) during a protest against discrimination and Jewish settlements in Ramallah, West Bank
They then move backwards after Tamimi's mother Nariman becomes involved.*
Some Israelis hailed the restraint of the soldiers, but others said the Tamimis' actions merited a tougher response and called for a heavy sentence.
Ahed Tamimi has become something of an icon for Palestinians.
She was photographed biting the hand of an Israeli soldier in 2015 to try to stop the arrest of a brother.
A years-old photograph of her raising her fist at a soldier led to her being received by then Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2012.**
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
The judge,*Lieutenant Colonel Menachem Lieberman, ordered journalists to be removed from the courtroom and ruled that open proceedings would not be in the interest of 17-year-old Ahed Tamimi, who is being tried as a minor.*
'I didn't think it's good for the minor that there are 100 people in the courtroom,' he said.
Only family members were allowed to remain with diplomats from both nations also asked to leave.
A large crowd of journalists had shown up to cover the trial of Tamimi, whose case has gained international attention.
Trials of minors in military court are typically closed, but Tamimi's lawyer said previous hearings for the teenager were open and she argued for it to remain that way.
Ahed Tamimi, who turned 17 in prison last month, appeared fresh and confident as she was led into a courtroom packed with journalists and foreign diplomats.*
A well-known campaigner against Israel's occupation, Tamimi stands for the beginning of her trial in the Israeli military court at Ofer military prison in the West Bank village of Betunia
RELATED ARTICLESPalestinian girl, 17, is arrested after she was filmed slapping Israeli soldiers in the West Bank 'in attempt to provoke them'Israel extends custody of Palestinian girl, 16, caught on video slapping two soldiers despite her lawyer's claims it violates international conventions*
She briefly gestured to relatives in the back of the room before the judge ordered everyone out except her family.
'Stay strong! Stay strong!' shouted her father, Bassem Tamimi.
After the prosecution read the indictment, the trial was adjourned until next month.*
Tamimi's mother, Nariman, and cousin Nour, 20, are also due to go on trial later today.
Ahed Tamimi and her mother will be held in custody until the end of the proceedings, while her cousin has been released on bail.
'They understand that people outside Ofer military court are interested in Ahed's case, they understand that her rights are being infringed and her trial is something that shouldn't be happening,' Tamimi's lawyer Gaby Lasky told journalists after having unsuccessfully objected to the judge's decision to close the trial.
'So the way to keep it out of everybody's eyes is to close doors and not allow people inside the court for her hearing.'**
Speaking in court, Lasky said she considers the session as an organ of what she described as an 'illegal occupation' and that the indictment must be thrown out.
'It is a trial of occupation,' Lasky told reporters after the session. 'This is a court of occupation, and Ahed was resisting occupation.'*
The judge ejected journalists from the courtroom, saying their presence would not be in favour of the minor
Several senior Israeli officials have called for harsh punishment for Tamimi, describing her either as a terrorist, a serial troublemaker or a gullible teen being cynically manipulated by others.
Earlier in the day, Tamimi's father said he came to court 'with no good expectations, because this a military court and it's part of the Israeli military occupation.'
Bassem Tamimi added that 'having people attend the court - journalists, consuls, diplomats, observers and lawyers - is very important because it keeps them safe and makes us feel that those in court are safe.'
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has criticised Israeli authorities' actions in the case, while the European Union has expressed concern over Israel's detention of minors, including Ahed Tamimi.
Amnesty International has called for her immediate release, saying her 'continued detention is a desperate attempt to intimidate Palestinian children who dare to stand up to repression by occupying forces.'
Tamimi has been hailed as a hero by Palestinians who see her as bravely standing up to Israel's occupation of the West Bank.
Israelis accuse her family of using her as a pawn in staged provocations.*
The footage was taken in the wake of the riots which followed Donald Trump's announcement that the US embassy would move to JerusalemA then 12-year-old Ahed Tamimi shouts at an Israeli soldier during a protest in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh in 2012
She has been charged with 12 counts including assault and could face a lengthy jail term if convicted.
The charges relate to events in the video and five other incidents. They include stone-throwing, incitement and making threats.
The incident occurred during a day of clashes across the West Bank against US President Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Violence since Trump's decision has left 12 Palestinians dead with most killed in clashes with Israeli forces.
The Tamimi family says a relative was shot in the head with a rubber bullet during protests the same day the video was filmed.*
The footage shows Tamimi and her cousin approaching two Israeli soldiers and telling them to leave before shoving, kicking and slapping them.
The heavily armed soldiers do not respond in the face of what appears to be an attempt to provoke rather than seriously harm them.
She was praised for her actions by then Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who presented her with a 'courage' awardAhed was arrested alongside her mother*Nariman who was also involved in the altercationTamimi's lawyer said:*'The way to keep [the truth] out of everybody's eyes is to close doors and not allow people inside the court for her hearing'Tamimi, an icon for Palestinians, was filmed slapping two soldiers and faces charges in a military court.*Tamimi was seen smiling in court - she celebrated her seventeenth birthday less than two weeks agoTamimi has been marching since she was a young child. Here she is pictured (left) during a protest against discrimination and Jewish settlements in Ramallah, West Bank
They then move backwards after Tamimi's mother Nariman becomes involved.*
Some Israelis hailed the restraint of the soldiers, but others said the Tamimis' actions merited a tougher response and called for a heavy sentence.
Ahed Tamimi has become something of an icon for Palestinians.
She was photographed biting the hand of an Israeli soldier in 2015 to try to stop the arrest of a brother.
A years-old photograph of her raising her fist at a soldier led to her being received by then Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2012.**
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
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