Sheikh Salah to goes on trial Wednesday

The Israeli court in the Israeli Ramle prison has scheduled the hearing of Sheikh Raed Salah- head of the Islamic movement inside the Palestinian territories of 1948- this coming Wednesday to investigate whether or not he has violated orders from the Israeli occupation police not to meet with more than seven people in a public place.

Khaled Zabarqa, one of the lawyers of Sheikh Salah, said the defense team filed a petition to adjourn the trial because they did not managed to get a copy of the case from the Israeli prosecutor.

However, Zabarqa pointed out that the court has not decided yet on the petition, but if it’s get rejected, then the hearing will go ahead as scheduled.

Sheikh Salah is serving five-month sentence term in the Israeli prison on Ayalon in Ramle city for defending the Aqsa Mosque against Israeli police and settlers attempts to desecrate its sanctity. He will be released from jail by December 10.

According to Sheikh Salah lawyers, the court will prosecute the Sheikh on Wednesday for accepting an invitation to a dinner party at Al-Halawani family home in the occupied Jerusalem suburb of Wadi Al-Joz after the Israeli troops banned him from entering the Aqsa Mosque on 22-08-2007.

The Israeli occupation police cordoned the home of Al-Halawani family during the dinner and attacked the guests without further warning, using tear gas canisters and sound grenades. Sheikh Salah and others were wounded in the attack.

The Israeli occupation police alleged that Salah met with more than 30 persons in Al-Halawani home, violating earlier police orders not to meet with more than a group of seven people at once in a public place. Lawyers said that in all standards, Al-Halawani home is considered a private place and not public.

In the same context, Zabarqa asserted that he and fellow lawyers will meet with the Israeli prison authority officials to discuss an appeal filed by the Mizan Human Rights center to allow books and magazines to Sheikh Salah.

Sheikh Salah was and still is a staunch defender of the Aqsa Mosque as he led many demonstrations against the Israeli government attempts to Judaize it and to distort the identity of the occupied city of Jerusalem.