Police and judge co-operate to "fix up" left opponents of Arafat
Palestinians get Irish treatment
* Britain 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 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 compatnots 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 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: | never read one book of Marx... I am ashamed to say).
Samar Alami
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