First Sergeant Rafram Haddad (26), a reservist with the military police, was sentenced on 29 April 2002 to 28 days imprisonment for refusing to serve as a guard at Megiddo Military Prison, where Palestinians are held for long periods of time without trial. Rafram Haddad is an active member of the Jerusalem peace community.
On 25 April 2002, Shay Biran, Yiftah Admoni, Alon Dror and Tomer Friedman received prison sentences of 28 days after refusing to serve as guards at the Ketziot Prison (also known as Ansar III) in the Negev desert, recently reopened to hold hundreds of Palestinians detained during the recent IDF operations in the Occupied Territories. All four serve in the Nahal Brigade, which consists mainly of youth movement graduates. Shay Biran and Tomer Friedman had previously seen active combat duty in the Occupied Territories. Each of the soldiers defended his decision in detail.
Amnesty International calls on the Israeli government to release immediately and unconditionally all those who have been imprisoned because they refused to serve in the Israeli army for reasons of conscience or profound conviction.
Background:
A person who for reasons of conscience or profound conviction arising from religious, ethical, moral, humanitarian, philosophical, political or similar motive refuses to perform armed service or any other direct or indirect participation in wars or armed conflicts and is imprisoned as a result of his/her refusal to serve is considered by Amnesty International to be a prisoner of conscience unless such a person has also refused to perform alternative civilian service of comparable length. There is no such alternative civilian service in Israel.
For more information please visit http://www.amnesty.org
On 25 April 2002, Shay Biran, Yiftah Admoni, Alon Dror and Tomer Friedman received prison sentences of 28 days after refusing to serve as guards at the Ketziot Prison (also known as Ansar III) in the Negev desert, recently reopened to hold hundreds of Palestinians detained during the recent IDF operations in the Occupied Territories. All four serve in the Nahal Brigade, which consists mainly of youth movement graduates. Shay Biran and Tomer Friedman had previously seen active combat duty in the Occupied Territories. Each of the soldiers defended his decision in detail.
Amnesty International calls on the Israeli government to release immediately and unconditionally all those who have been imprisoned because they refused to serve in the Israeli army for reasons of conscience or profound conviction.
Background:
A person who for reasons of conscience or profound conviction arising from religious, ethical, moral, humanitarian, philosophical, political or similar motive refuses to perform armed service or any other direct or indirect participation in wars or armed conflicts and is imprisoned as a result of his/her refusal to serve is considered by Amnesty International to be a prisoner of conscience unless such a person has also refused to perform alternative civilian service of comparable length. There is no such alternative civilian service in Israel.
For more information please visit http://www.amnesty.org