11 Israeli Anarchists Convicted for 2004 Blockade
The trial of 11 activists belonging to the group Anarchists Against The Wall reached its end today after about three years. Seven of the defendants had their convictions for illegal assembly and destruction of public property set aside in exchange for 80 hours of community service. The verdict for three other defendants was postpone to the 18th of March because of a demand for combining these indictments with previous indictments for political activity. Jonathan Pollak received a three month suspended sentence.In a packed courtroom, full of supporters the verdict was read in the first trial of the group Anarchist Against The Wall. The charges stemmed from arrests at a demonstration in front of the army headquarters on February 3 2004. That day marked the beginning of the proceedings in the international court of justice at the HagueKaplan street, in front of the army headquarters and graffiti-ed its walls. about the legality of the apartheid wall. Earlier in the day the activists were prevented from reaching a demonstration near Tul Karem and in response they blocked.
The trial of 11 activists belonging to the group Anarchists Against The Wall reached its end today after about three years. Seven of the defendants had their convictions for illegal assembly and destruction of public property set aside in exchange for 80 hours of community service. The verdict for three other defendants was postpone to the 18th of March because of a demand for combining these indictments with previous indictments for political activity. Jonathan Pollak received a three month suspended sentence.
In a packed courtroom, full of supporters the verdict was read in the first trial of the group Anarchist Against The Wall. The charges stemmed from arrests at a demonstration in front of the army headquarters on February 3 2004. That day marked the beginning of the proceedings in the international court of justice at the HagueKaplan street, in front of the army headquarters and graffiti-ed its walls. about the legality of the apartheid wall. Earlier in the day the activists were prevented from reaching a demonstration near Tul Karem and in response they blocked.
Pollak refused to cooperate with the probation services and asked the court to sentence him to an actual jail term and not a suspended sentence . His reasons were explained in a statement he read in the court room.
The judge did not grant Pollak's request and sentenced him to a 3 month suspended sentence which will be imposed if Pollak is convicted of illegal assembly in the next two years. The judge stated that he avoided imposing a fine because he knew that Pollak will not pay it. The members of the group were represented by Adv. Gaby Lasky who has been the group’s lawyer for several years.
The line of defense Lasky used was based on the principles of civil resistance, and used international law, mainly the Nuremberg and Tokyo war crimes tribunals, to legally justify breaking local law in order to uphold international law.
AATW Recent activities against restriction of movement and road blocks (http://www.awalls.org/Rothschild_video, http://www.awalls.org/tel_avivs_center_blocked_by_the_wall_0, http://www.awalls.org/two_road_blocks_removed_in_hebron_region)
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