Tuesday, March 19th | 9 Adar II 5784

Subscribe
March 21, 2018 12:39 pm
2

Palestinian Teen Girl on Trial for Striking Israeli Soldier Reported to Agree Plea Deal

× [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]

avatar by Reuters and Algemeiner Staff

Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi enters a military courtroom escorted by Israeli security personnel at Ofer Prison, near Ramallah, Jan. 15, 2018. Photo: Reuters / Ammar Awad.

A teenage Palestinian girl who was filmed kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier in the West Bank accepted a plea deal on Wednesday under which she will be sentenced to eight months in prison, Israel‘s Haaretz news website said.

Ahed Tamimi, 17, became a hero to Palestinians after the Dec 15 incident outside her home in the village of Nabi Saleh was streamed live on Facebook by her mother and went viral.

Tamimi’s attorney was not immediately available to comment. The attorney had earlier told Reuters that a plea bargain had been offered by military prosecutors at the court in Ofer military prison in the West Bank, near Ramallah.

Tamimi was 16 at the time of the offense. Her trial began last month and she faced 12 charges, including aggravated assault.

Israeli news websites said that under the plea agreement, Tamimi, who was 16 at the time of the incident, would plead guilty to a reduced charge sheet that included assault, and would be sentenced to eight months in jail.

The incident prompted criticism from right-wing Israelis that the military looked weak by allowing the teenager to strike a soldier and an officer with impunity.

The army said the soldier “acted professionally” by showing restraint. Tamimi’s mother, Nariman, and a cousin were also arrested. Both have accepted plea bargains, a family lawyer said.

The case drew global attention. Amnesty International called Tamimi the “Rosa Parks of Palestine,” and the small courtroom was often packed with journalists, diplomats and international observers during hearings, during which Tamimi was led into court in shackles.

A group of American cultural figures, including actors Danny Glover and Rosario Dawson and novelist Alice Walker, signed a petition calling for her release and comparing her case to those of “the children of immigrants and communities of color who face police brutality in the United States.”

Share this Story: Share On Facebook Share On Twitter

Let your voice be heard!

Join the Algemeiner

Algemeiner.com

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.