Detention of woman human rights defender Fayza Abu Shamsiyya
On 3 November 2019, woman human rights defender Fayza Abu Shamsiyya was arrested by the Israeli police after members of the Israeli army carried out a raid on her home.
Fayza Abu Shamsiyya is a woman human rights defender and a member of ‘Human Rights Defenders Palestine’ with whom she documents human rights violations committed against Palestinians. She is also a volunteer with the ‘Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling’ where she studies the environmental consequences of the Israeli occupation.
On 3 November 2019, woman human rights defender Fayza Abu Shamsiyya was arrested by the Israeli police after members of the Israeli army carried out a raid on her home.
Fayza Abu Shamsiyya is a woman human rights defender and a member of ‘Human Rights Defenders Palestine’ with whom she documents human rights violations committed against Palestinians. She is also a volunteer with the ‘Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling’ where she studies the environmental consequences of the Israeli occupation.
On 3 November 2019, at around 8:00pm, the Israeli military forces raided Fayza Abu Shamsiyya’s home. She and her eldest son Awni Abu Shamsiyya, who had a surgery only few days previously, were physically abused by the Israeli soldiers. A few minutes later the Israeli police arrested Fayza Abu Shamsiyya, taking her to the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba. Palestinians are not allowed to enter Kiryat Arba without special permission, which made it it difficult for her family to visit her. She was interrogated there until 1:45am, only being released after she paid a fine of 500 ILS (130 EUR). Fayza Abu Shamsiyya was put under house arrest for fifteen days and is charged with ‘obstructing the Israeli Defence Forces’.
Fayza Abu Shamsiyya and her family have frequently been harassed by the Israeli military forces, and their family home has been raided multiple times. Personal cameras owned by Fayza Abu Shamsiyya and her husband Imad Abu Shamsiyya are regularly confiscated by the Israeli forces.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned about the ongoing harassment of the woman human rights defender Fayza Abu Shamsiyya and her family. Front Line Defenders believes that she and her family are being targeted solely because of their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities.
