Give Arrested Aid Worker Fair Trial, Amnesty Tells Israel
Umer Jamshaid Published August 29, 2016 | 11:35 AM
JERUSALEM, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -29th Augst,2016) - Amnesty International on Monday called on Israel to give an aid worker charged with aiding the Islamist movement Hamas a "fair and open trial", citing allegations of abuse in custody. "He was initially denied access to a lawyer and when she was eventually allowed to meet him, he alleged he had been seriously mistreated in custody," the rights group said in a statement. "The Israeli authorities must immediately investigate the allegations that Mohammed Halabi was mistreated in custody and may have been forced into 'confessing' under duress," it added. "Any evidence obtained through torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment must be excluded from proceedings.
Without independent and impartial investigations into these allegations the trial risks being fundamentally flawed." On August 4 an Israeli court charged Halabi, the Gaza director of the World Vision NGO, with having chanelled millions of Dollars in foreign aid to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and its armed wing.
Israel's Shin Bet internal security service said $7.2 million (6.5 million Euros) given to World Vision had been diverted to Hamas each year, with some of it funding the Gaza Strip rulers' military campaign against the Jewish state. World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organisation, has reacted by saying it had "no reason to believe" the allegations against Halabi were true. The charge sheet said he was recruited by Hamas to infiltrate the aid organisation more than a decade ago, rising to become the head of World Vision's Gaza operation. Halabi was arrested in June and later indicted on a number of charges, including funding terror. "The allegation of stealing money intended to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is extremely serious," Amnesty added on Monday. "This makes it all the more pressing to ensure that Mohammed Halabi's rights are fully respected and that his trial be fair and transparent."
Related Topics
Recent Stories
SC orders end of encroachments in Karachi
Nazish Jahangir denies viral screenshots, calls them fake
Govt likely to hike electricity price once again
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
More Stories From World
-
Iron ore futures close higher
3 minutes ago -
Two runaway army horses in 'serious condition': UK minister
3 minutes ago -
Myanmar's health ministry issues heat advisory amid soaring temperature
13 minutes ago -
Russian oil production facility in Siberia catches fire
14 minutes ago -
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closes 0.48 pct higher
14 minutes ago -
Kremlin says Ukraine access to ATACMS will not impact outcome of conflict
23 minutes ago
-
Scottish leader scraps coalition deal with Greens
23 minutes ago -
US announces sweeping cuts to power sector carbon emissions
1 hour ago -
US to give Micron $6.1 bn for American chip factories
1 hour ago -
Venice launches five-euro entry fee
2 hours ago -
New Godzilla x Kong film continues to lead Chinese box office
2 hours ago -
2024 Zhongguancun Forum opens in Beijing to focus on cutting-edge technologies
2 hours ago