Front Line is concerned following reports of the judicial harassment of Israeli human rights defender, Mr Ezra Nawi, who has been accused of assaulting an Israeli border police officer.

Ezra Nawi has long been a leading figure in the joint Palestinian-Israeli non-violent struggle for equality and justice in the region. He has been engaged in human rights and humanitarian work in the South Hebron Hills for many years, helping Palestinian farmers to access their lands (where they have been denied access by settlers and the military in a violent way), and working against home demolitions in the area.

On 19 March 2009, the trial of Ezra Nawi for allegedly assaulting a border police officer was adjourned until the 1st of July 2009.

On 22 July 2007, Ezra Nawi was with a family in the village of Umm al-Her, attempting to stop the destruction of the family’s home. The border police tore through the wall of the shack, evacuated the family by force and then destroyed the remains of their home with a bulldozer.

Ezra Nawi was handcuffed and arrested. The entire event was filmed on You Tube, apart for 15 seconds when the action moved away from the camera. The police claim that during those 15 seconds, Ezra Nawi assaulted a border police officer with a punch to the face. In court, the judge has said that in a case where there are no independent witnesses, the testimony of two police officers is more credible than that of one human rights defender.

Front Line believes that the judicial harassment of Ezra Nawi is an attempt to hinder his work in defence of human rights, in particular the economic and social rights of Palestinians living in the occupied territories.