Israel releases Palestinian lawyer after imprisoning her a year without trial

IMEMC – The Israeli Prison Authority released on Thursday evening a Palestinian lawyer, along with her two brothers, after a year in detention on charges of “illegally” transferring money to Gaza Strip detainees who have been deprived form visitation for several years.

The Central Court in Jerusalem ordered the release of Shereen Al Esaawi, along with her brothers, Midhat and Rafat, after the prosecution failed to prove its claims.

A month ago, the prosecution demanded additional nine-month imprisonment, but the court decided that the reluctance and endless delays shown by the prosecution in filing charges obliged it to look into their release.

The court granted the prosecution 30 days to file the charges while defense attorneys filed a motion for the immediate release of Al Esaawi’s. The court eventually agreed to a conditional release until all charges are cleared.

Al Esaawi, her two brothers, and two other Palestinians were detained a year under the claim that they transferred money from the Hamas movement to detainees in Israeli prisons.

The court claimed that Al Esaawi and her brother, Midhat, transferred hundreds of thousands of Israeli shekels at a post office near the Qalandia terminal, north of Jerusalem, to accounts owned by the detainees.

Al Esaawi was kidnapped by the army on April 25, 2010, her brother Midhat was kidnapped on May, 10, 2010, and her brother Rafat was kidnapped on May 16. 2010.

Their brother, Samer, was kidnapped by the army in April 2002, and is serving a 30-year term.