Bethlehem second youth worker violently arrested + petition

Munther Amira at recent meeting

Source: Aida Youth Center

In the early hours of this morning, Munther Amira, Aida Youth Center's Chairman of the Board of Directors, was violently arrested in his home in Aida refugee camp, near Bethlehem.

Israeli soldiers broke down the door of Munther's home, and beat up his younger brother Kareem for over 15 minutes. Kareem has been hospitalised due to the severity of his injuries. Soldiers then badly beat Munther, tied up his sons, and locked his wife and children in a bedroom. Munther was then blindfolded and left on the street for an hour before they took him away to a military base.

In addition to being a leader at Aida Youth Center, Munther is an activist with the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee (PSCC), a collection of grassroots activists in the West Bank. This is not the first time Munther has been detained for his activism. In 2017, he was sentenced to six months in prison for participating in a peaceful demonstration demanding the release of Ahed Tamimi.

It is not clear yet on what charges, if any, Munther is being held. He might be 'sentenced' to administrative detention, like Anas Abu Srour, the centre director who was arrested earlier this month. Aida Youth Centre has launched a petition demanding Munther's release - see the link below.

The petition for Anas has already been signed over 12,500 times and has been shared with Anas' lawyers and relevant officials. Anas' case was even discussed in British parliament last week. We are now waiting to hear whether the appeal to his 'conviction' is approved, or whether Anas will have to serve six months in administrative detention, without charges or trial.

Staff at the Centre write: "This is a very difficult time for Aida Youth Center, and for the community we serve. Though two key figures in our organization have been imprisoned by the occupation forces, we are all working hard to continue their important work and keep supporting the children and families of Aida camp.

Please sign and share the petition for Munther, and keep posting on social media using the hashtags #FreeAnasAbuSrour and #FreeMuntherAmira.

LINK

Petition demanding Munther's release