Judge Upholds Deportation Order of American Peace Activist Ann Petter

[idontwantaname]

im sorry but i do not have a link. if anyone knows where i could get it please let me know. thank you.



Judge Upholds Deportation Order of American Peace Activist Ann Petter
Based on Previous Participation in Anti-Wall March
Petter to Appeal Decision to the Israeli Supreme Court

Tel Aviv District Court Judge upheld the
Ministry of Interior's deportation order of American peace activist Ann
Petter. Judge Mudrik accepted the Ministry of Interior's argument that
Petter should be barred from entering Israel because of her
participation in a peace march last year organized by the International
Solidarity
Movement, which is a Palestinian-led movement working for Palestinian
freedom and an end to the Israeli occupation. Judge Mudrik held that the
case did not warrant the Court's intervention in the decision of the
State.

Judge Mudrik stated that it is common practice in Israeli legal
proceedings for the State to disclose secret evidence to a judge without
the defendant or the defense attorneys having the right to view the
evidence and contest it. On this basis, Mudrik asserted that the Israeli
authorities lawfully denied Petter entry into Israel and that the
defendant did nothing to contradict the allegations against her.
Petter's attorneys point to the contradiction inherent in this common
practice
which penalizes a defendant for not contradicting evidence against her -
evidence that she is not allowed to see or know the content of.

Petter's attorneys intend to appeal today's decision to the Israeli
Supreme Court. They requested to stay the deportation order for the
duration of the appeal proceedings to provide Petter the opportunity to
represent herself during the appeal. Judge Mudrik has deferred the
decision regarding Petter's immediate deportation to the Supreme Court.

Petter is a 44-year old graphic designer from New York who arrived in
Israel with a video camera; she intended to document the work of
Palestinian, Israeli, and international peace activists, one of whom is
79-year old Holocaust survivor, Hedy Epstein. Petter’s attorneys, Yael
Berda and Shamai Leibovitz, stated that with these intentions, Petter
does not pose a security threat to the State of Israel as alleged by the
prosecution, but rather poses only a public relations threat.

[Gimel]

1. the article

Title: Tel Aviv court orders expulsion of American ISM activist