Palestinian teen on trial for striking Israeli soldier accepts plea deal
ofer prison (west bank) — A teenage Palestinian girl who was filmed kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank accepted a plea deal on Wednesday under which she will be sentenced to eight months in prison, her lawyer said.
Ahed Tamimi, 17, became a hero to Palestinians after the December 15 incident outside her home in the village of Nabi Saleh was streamed live on Facebook by her mother and went viral.
The soldiers had deployed during a weekly Palestinian protest in the village against Israeli policy on illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Tamimi was 16 at the time of the offence. Her trial began last month and she faced 12 charges, including aggravated assault.
“No justice under occupation!” Tamimi, handcuffed and shackled, shouted out to reporters at court in the Ofer military prison, near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Tamimi’s attorney Gaby Lasky said that under the deal approved by the court, Tamimi will plead guilty to a reduced charge sheet that includes assault and would be sentenced to eight months in jail and pay a fine of 5,000 shekels (about $1,430). Lasky said the jail term included the time Tamimi has spent in detention since her arrest in December.
Tamimi’s case drew global attention. Amnesty International called her the “Rosa Parks of Palestine”, and the small courtroom was often packed with journalists, diplomats and international observers during hearings. — Reuters