[Billboard] Ben-Artzi and Ya'acobi, beyond 100 days facing immediate reimprisonment
December 5, 2002

Tomorrow, Dec.5 at 9.00 am Ben-Artzi and Ya'acobi, COs who served more than 100 days, to be released - only to receive their next prison term.

[call to protest included]

Tomorrow, Thursday December 5, Israeli conscientious objectors Yoni Ben Artzi (19) and Uri Ya'akobi(18) - recognized by Amnesty International as Prisoners of Conscience* - are due to complete their respective fifth consecutive prison terms in Military Prison 4, at Tzrifin south east of Tel-Aviv -but only to be called up again and suffer military prison conditions without end in sight. As jailed conscripts they have short nights and long work hours: in the military prison they are forced to do all kind of menial work.

The two refuse to serve in the Israeli army - being pacifists and objecting to the government policies in the Occupied Territories. The IDF again and again subjected the conscientous objectors to "instant trials" held in camera without lawyers or witnesses, lasting a few minutes and ending with a prison term of 14 or 28 days. In this way the IDF avoids a court martial where the accused can be represented by a lawyer and could conduct a defence. It also makes it possible for the army to stretch out the imprisonment indefinitely - as there is nothing in Israeli law to stop this process from being repeated indefinitely.

In practice, on earlier cases Conscientious Objectors were released after about 90 days behind bars. However, Ya'akobi has now accumulated 105 days of imprisonment and Ben Artzi -126 and there is still no sign of their gaining access to the army's "Incompatibility Committee" - the only way out of this vicious cycle.

In the past period, with a change at the army's Supreme Command, there appears to be a toughening of the military authorities' policy towards CO's. Such a change directly effects many other youthful CO's. Three who already got to a second or third prison term - Dror Boimel, Yoni Yehezkel and Haggai Matar - and at least four who are due to be conscripted during December and already announced their intention to refuse. Altogether, near to 300 youths have signed "The Highschool Letter" in which they declared their refusal either to serve in the Occupied Territories or altogether serve in the army. (This should not be confused with the announced refusal of the ever increasing number of reservist combat soldiers and officers.)

Uri Ya'akobi and Yoni Ben Artzi (Netanyahu's nephew - not that he expects or seeks to be treated differently because of that family relationship) are expected to emerge at some moment between 9.00 and 10.00 from the Jaffa Gate of the Tzrifin Miltary complex, on the old Tel-Aviv-Jerusalem Road (route 44), and will be available for interview.

Contact:
Ofra Ben Artzi 02-6528037.
Adam Keller 03-5565804

Once out of custody, the two CO's will be accessible via their mobile phones Yonathan Ben Artzi 055-933001, Uri Ya'akobi 055-498315

*http://web.amnesty.org/web/web.nsf/pages/IOT_Conscientious_Objectors

For sample protest letters and where to send them:

http://www.newprofile.org/ (Hebrew)
http://www.newprofile.org/english/index.html (English)

NB: letters can be sent without the personal military ID number ---

The Other Israel peace movement magazine pob 2542, Holon 58125, Israel; ph/fx: +972-3-5565804; for free sample hardcopy mailto: otherisr@actcom.co.il http://members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/

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