{"id":107479,"date":"2021-01-06T16:28:58","date_gmt":"2021-01-06T16:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=107479"},"modified":"2021-01-06T16:28:58","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06T16:28:58","slug":"israel-convicts-palestinian-activist-of-illegal-protest-assault-lawyer-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/markets\/israel-convicts-palestinian-activist-of-illegal-protest-assault-lawyer-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel convicts Palestinian activist of illegal protest, assault, lawyer says"},"content":{"rendered":"
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – An Israeli military court on Wednesday convicted a Palestinian rights activist of offences in the occupied West Bank, his lawyer said, in a case that Amnesty International described as politically motivated.<\/p> The military did not immediately provide Reuters with the Ofer military court\u2019s verdict against Issa Amro of the Palestinian city of Hebron, and arguments over sentencing will await a further hearing on Feb. 8.<\/p>\n Amro denied the charges, which included protesting without a permit, obstructing Israeli soldiers\u2019 activities in the flashpoint city of Hebron and assaulting a Jewish settler.<\/p>\n Amro, 40, founded an activist group that regularly protests against settlement construction in Hebron. Under heavy Israeli military protection, around 1,000 settlers live there among 200,000 Palestinians.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make sense to punish someone for non-violent resistance,\u201d Amro told Reuters. \u201cThe Israeli military system exists only to oppress Palestinians and restrict freedom of speech.\u201d<\/p>\n Amro was convicted on six of 18 charges against him, in incidents that occurred between 2010 and 2016, his lawyer, Gaby Lasky, said.<\/p>\n Lasky said it was hard to predict whether Amro would face prison time, but that a Palestinian in a similar case received a 10-month term.<\/p>\n Amnesty International said the charges against Amro were \u201cpolitically motivated and linked to his peaceful work in exposing Israel\u2019s human rights violations\u201d.<\/p>\n The group has also condemned as \u201cdisgraceful\u201d charges brought against Amro by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.<\/p>\n Amnesty said the PA has accused him of \u201cdisturbing public order\u201d and \u201cinsulting higher authorities\u201d over Facebook posts in 2017 critical of Palestinian leaders.<\/p>\n Amro said his next Palestinian court hearing is on Jan. 20.<\/p>\n Most countries view settlements Israel built on West Bank land captured in a 1967 war as illegal. Israel disputes this, citing biblical and historical connections to the territory, as well as security needs.<\/p>\n