Jaggi Singh, a Montreal-based activist and organizer, was nabbed yesterday in Jerusalem by a group of undercover Israeli police officers. He was on his way to visit a friend and was arrested as he arrived at his friend’s apartment.
Singh travelled to Israel and the Occupied Territories on the invitation of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). The ISM is a Palestinian-led movement which brings together Palestinians and internationals to fight the Israeli occupation through non-violent direct action. Singh was also providing written and audio reports to various independent news organizations and activist networks about the situation on the ground in the Occupied Territories.
The arrest comes after his trip to the Occupied Territories had ended and as he prepared to leave Israel. He planned return to Canada on January 11. When Singh first arrived in Israel in mid-December, he was refused entry to the country. He “refused to be refused” and was immediately detained; he spent two days fighting an illegal deportation from Israel. Israel has refused 10,000 internationals over the past two years.
After winning a court battle with the assistance of Israeli lawyer Shamai Leibowitz, Singh was granted entry into Israel with the condition that he leave the country by December 23. The judge also barred him from entering the Occupied Territories. This condition, imposed by the Tel Aviv District Court, is illegal according to Canadian and International Law. Israel has no legal authority over the Palestinian Territories and therefore cannot decide who is allowed entry and who is not.
Singh is currently being held at the Russian Compound in Jerusalem, an Israeli jail notorious for its ill-treatment of Palestinians. No details are being released as to the nature of the charges against or how long he will be held.
Update:
4 p.m., January 9 — Jaggi Singh has been transported to the airport from the Russian Compound where he was being held and will be sent out on an evening flight to Montreal.
Singh reports that after being picked up by undercover officers yesterday, he was taken directly to the Russian Compound where he was interrogated by numerous investigators. He was asked what he was doing in Israel and who he met with. Singh refused to answer questions until he could contact a lawyer, which he was neverallowed to do.
During his interrogation, one of the higher ranking officers came into his cell and beat him up. He reports being choked, slapped, knocked around and having his hairpulled.
His friend reports from Jerusalem that Singh was shaken by the experience but is recovering well.
— rabble staff
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