By Rina Rosenberg | International Advocacy Director
Adalah works through legal representation to defend and advance the rights of Arab Bedouin citizens in the Naqab in the face of efforts by the state of Israel to displace them from their lands and villages. Below are two examples of our cases from the first quarter of 2015.
1) Criminal indictments withdrawn against Sheikh S. A-T. from Al-Araqib:
Adalah Attorney Aram Mahameed: "The goal behind the indictments is to criminalize Arab Bedouin villagers for their attempts to save their homes."
On 24 February 2015, during a hearing in the Be'er Sheva Magistrates' Court, the state prosecution announced the withdrawal of criminal indictments against Sheikh S. A-T, leader of the unrecognized Arab Bedouin village of Al-Araqib in the Naqab. The prosecutors had charged the Sheikh with "forcibly taking control" of the village's land and "failing to obey orders to leave the land" after he refused to comply with eviction orders issued against him. The decision to withdraw the indictments was an indication, as Adalah argued before the court, that the state’s charges against Sheikh S. were legally baseless. The case is the last of a group of 14 criminal indictments filed against villagers and activists in Al-Araqib, who were arrested and injured during protests against home demolitions in the village in 2010 and 2011. In all of these cases, either the activists received very light sentences, or the state withdrew the charges, or the court cancelled the indictments.
2) Demanding public transportation for Bedouin voters in unrecognized villages on Election Day:
Adalah’s Khalil Alamour and Amjad Iraqi: “The Bedouin should not have to count how many cars are needed to demand recognition and equality at the ballot box.”
On 22 January 2015, Adalah sent a letter to Israel’s Central Elections Committee requesting that public transportation routes be provide for Bedouin residents of the Naqab in order to allow them to vote in the Israeli general election on 17 March 2015. The letter argued that the lack of public transportation impedes the residents' right to vote and directly influences voter levels in these villages. This is particularly damaging for residents of villages facing imminent home demolition or eviction, for whom the election results could make a major the difference. However, in March, shortly before the election, the Committee refused Adalah's request, stating that it “requires a large built system, and also requires resources and preparations that the elections committee cannot commit to," Despite this decision, Adalah highlighted the obstacles to Bedouin voters’ rights for future efforts, and also raised awareness in the media about the issue.
This legal work is made possible through your contributions via Global Giving – thank you! As we continue our work, we hope that you will help us reach our goal of raising $20,000 so that Adalah can continue to support the Bedouin community with high-quality legal representation, in-depth study tours for influential stakeholders, and practical human rights workshops for Bedouin activists. Together we can struggle to halt the ongoing forced displacement and dispossession, and work to ensure that the Bedouin can remain in their homes and on their lands with dignity.
Please join us and stand for Adalah, stand for Justice!
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