Archive for May 2012


A Druze refuser now in prison

May 20th, 2012 — 12:57am
Armo Naffa
The Israeli Police arrested 18-year-old, Armo Naffaa from the Palestinian town of Bit Jan in northern Israel, after he refused conscription. Armo Naffaa is a member of the Druze religious community, whose male members are conscripted to the Israeli army. He continues a tradition of Druze refusal to join a military that fights an ethnic war against their own, Palestinian, people.
We shall send you a more detailed update on his case after we will have more information.
Arab Druze Follow-Up Committee issued a press release saluting “the humanitarian and patriotic stance of Naffaa’ who chose imprisonment over being part of an army of occupation”.
You can read more about his case here

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Noam Gur has been freed!

May 20th, 2012 — 12:55am
Refuser Noam Gur was exempted from military service on the 14th of May, several days after she was released from her second prison term of 10 days each. Prior to the discharge she was sentenced to an additional prison term of 15 days, but the prison sentence will not be implemented.
Noam is now no longer in risk of further imprisonment. She wishes to thank you all for you support.

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Second Prison Term for Conscientious Objector Noam Gur

May 6th, 2012 — 12:28am

onscientious objector Noam Gur sentenced to a second term in prison for her refusal to join the Israeli Army.

On Sunday the 29th of April, Noam Gur, was sentenced for additional 10 days in prison for her refusal to enlist. This is her second consecutive prison term. She is held in military prison no. 6, and is due  to be released from prison on May 7th. However, she is likely to be imprisoned again soon afterwards.

During her first prison sentence Noam refused to wear a uniform. For disobeying orders she was put in isolation and would only be allowed to join the prison population if she agreed to wear a uniform.

Prisoners in isolation cells are not allowed books or other reading material. They are subjected to eating their meals alone in their cells. During the day their mattresses are removed from their beds. Noam could only endure isolation for one day and agreed to wear a uniform for the duration of her prison term.

But there were other difficulties. Noam is vegan and this proved to be very problematic. The army was not prepared, or was not willing, to provide Noam with her full nutritional needs. In the past the army allowed vegans to bring their own food supplies into the prisons. However this procedure has been changed and we filed a complaint. It was only after we intervened did the army provide her with her with food fit for vegans.

Noam sends her thanks to all of you who have sent her support letters.


    Her prison address is:
    Noam Gur
    Military ID 6084062
    Military Prison No. 6

Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned objectors, we also recommend you to send them your letters of support and encouragement via e-mail to: messages2prison@newprofile.org (hitting “reply all” to this message will send the message to the same address), and they will be printed out and delivered during visits.

Recommended Action
First of all, please circulate this message and the information contained in it as widely as possible, not only through e-mail, but also on websites, social networks, conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.

Other recommendations for action:

1. Sending Letters of Support

Please send Noam letters of support to the prison address above and to messages2prison@newprofile.org.

2. Letters to Authorities

It is recommended to send letters of protest on the objectors’ behalf, preferably by fax, to:

Copies of your letters can also be sent to the commander of the military prison at:

    Commander of Military Prison No. 6,
    Military Prison No. 6
    Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
    Israel
    Fax: ++972-4-9540580

Another useful address for sending copies would be the Military Attorney General:

    Denny Efroni,
    Chief Military Attorney
    Military postal code 9605, IDF
    Israel
    Fax: ++972-3-569-45-26

It would be especially useful to send your appeals to the Commander of the Induction Base in Tel-HaShomer. It is this officer that ultimately decides whether an objector is to be exempted from military service or sent to another round in prison, and it is the same officer who is ultimately in charge of the military Conscience Committee:

    Gil Ben Shaul,
    Commander of Induction Base,
    Meitav, Tel-HaShomer
    Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
    Israel.
    Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52

For those of you who live outside Israel, it would be very effective to send protests to your local Israeli embassy. You can find the address of your local embassy on the web.

Here is a generic sample letter, which you can use in sending appeals to authorities on the prisoners’ behalf. Feel free to modify this letter or write your own:

    Dear Sir/Madam,It has come to my attention that Noam Gur (military ID 6084062), a conscientious objector to military service, has been imprisoned for the second time for his refusal to become part of the Israeli army, and is held in Military Prison no. 6 near Atlit.

    The imprisonment of conscientious objectors such as Noam Gur is a violation of international law, of basic human rights and of plain morals. This is especially clear in cases, such as Gur’s, in which conscientious objectors are being sentenced repeatedly for their self-same decision to refuse enlistment.

    I therefore call for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of  Noam Gur, without threat of further imprisonment in the future, and urge you and the system you are heading to respect the dignity and person of conscientious objectors, indeed of all persons, in the future.

    Sincerely,

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