moqawama

	2010/08/18 Israeli court rules against the State in Abir Aramin's case On the morning of 16 January 2007, Abir Aramin (10) was walking to a friend's house with her sister Arin and two other friends, when she was shot in the head by an Israeli border policeman with a rubber coated bullet. She died two days later as a result of the injuries. Talking to DCI in March 2007, Arin described what happened: “As we were walking, an army jeep passed us and stopped at the first store known by Nu’mani’s (name of the vendor). The street is a two-way main street and is not divided. It links as-Salam suburb to Anata al-Balad. The military jeep stopped with its bonnet facing as-Salam suburb. They fired a tear gas canister in the direction of Anata. We were terrified and wanted to hide, but we did not know where. Afterwards, they fired another canister, I think, but I could not distinguish what it was. I do not know. But I heard a sound, and then Abir flew in the air and flipped over three times before hitting the ground. She fell on her face near a car. ‘Let’s catch Abir!’ I cried to Shefa. Abir looked as if she was asleep. I started shouting and crying in the street. Shareef, the cake seller, came along. The army jeep remained for a while. I looked at the jeep and found the driver was looking at us from the window. They then took off slowly.” After Abir’s death, the police opened an investigation, but it was closed with the argument that there was not enough evidence to bring charges against anyone. This decision was contested in the Israeli High Court, but the Court refused to re-open the case. In their persistence for justice, Abir’s family’s filed a civil suit. The ruling by a Jerusalem District Judge was issued yesterday. It declares that Abir Aramin was indeed shot dead by a border policeman, and that the killing was "totally unjustifiable." The judge ordered the state to pay Abir’s family compensation for the damages. DCI-Palestine welcomes the judgment and praises Abir’s family’s resilience in their pursuit for accountability. However, there is ongoing impunity for similar cases. From August 2008 to May 2010, DCI-Palestine has documented five more cases of child fatalities as a result of the use of disproportionate force by Israeli soldiers. DCI-Palestine calls on Israel to fully investigate these incidents, and take appropriate action against those responsible, in accordance with their legal obligations under international law. DCI-Palestine also calls on Israel to ensure that its army respects its international legal obligations and the lives of Palestinian children.

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