|
Impunity for Killers of Palestinians
Israel/OT: Impunity for Killers of Palestinians
24/01/2001
"The sentence handed down to Nahum Korman sends out a powerful message -that Israelis
can kill Palestinians with impunity," Amnesty International said today. The human
rights organization was commenting on the decision of the Jerusalem District Court to
sentence Nahum Korman, a 37-year-old Israeli citizen, to six months community service for
the killing of an 11-year-old Palestinian child, Hilmi Shawasheh. He was also ordered to
pay 70,000 shekels to the victim's family.
The punishment is in sharp contrast with the six and half year sentence given to Su'ad
Hilmi Ghazal, a Palestinian from Sebastia village near Nablus who in December 1998 at the
age of 15 and whilst suffering psychological problems, injured an Israeli settler by
stabbing him. Immediately after her arrest, despite being a minor, she was held
incommunicado without access to either a lawyer or her family for 27 days, for 17 of which
she was held in solitary confinement. Since then, Su'ad Hilmi Ghazal, whose mental health
deteriorated as a result of the ordeal,has been held for two years in the women's section
of Neve Terze prison in Ramle.
"These two contrasting sentences reflect a deeply rooted culture of discrimination
against Palestinians, which permeates the Israeli justice system,"Amnesty
International said. "People have a right to be treated equally under the law,
regardless of which community they come from, yet his clearly does not apply in
Israel."
Both Nahum Korman and Su'ad Hilmi Ghazal were sentenced on 21 January 2001.
ENDS
Home | Index | Related Sites | Feed Back