THREAT Jawad Siyam

Prosecution of Jawad Siyam, Director of the Wadi Hilweh Information Center

A few days ago, the Magistrate Court unexpectedly summoned the director of the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, Jawad Siyam, to a hearing held on Tuesday, 17 January. His private lawyer was informed that the charges against him would be compared with the charges filed against him in 2011 and considered accordingly,  meaning that he would effectively be re-tried on the same charges. Jawad was arrested multiple times during the first four months of 2011 which he spent between house arrest and prison. Jawad was cleared of all charges in 2011.

UPDATE January 24, 2012
List of accusation against the director of the Wadi Hilweh Information Center expanded
Tuesday, 24 January, 2012 | 00:32

Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- The Israeli General Prosecutor succeeded in expanding the list of accusations against Jawad Siyam the director of the Wadi Hilweh Information Center- Silwan . In an extraordinary event, the Israeli police requested that charges be filed against Siyam through the Israeli General Prosecutor adding a number of new accusations to the list filed against him in 2011.  Magistrate Court Judge Shloomi accepted the police request. The accusations were filed with 9 police officers and a settler acting as witnesses. MQ, an Arab resident of Jerusalem, claimed that Siyam chased and severly assaulted him in Wadi Al Joz during the time that Siyam was under house arrest. MQ was taken to hospital at that time. MQ also claimed that Siyam physically assaulted him in another incident accompanied by 20 youth under the pretext of Siyam’s intention to help mobilize the ownership of Palestinians properties to the settlers (Elad)

MQ also claimed that Jawad Siyam had a significant relationship with the Palestinian Authorities. Later MQ again claimed that Siyam chased him, blocked the road with his car and threatened to kidnap MQ’s son if he didn’t obey Siyam’s demands . Settlers tried to help M.Q with the conviction of Siyam by following Siyam and installing surveillance cameras that monitor his house on a 24 hour basis. Israeli Forces arrived at his house to arrest him while he was attending a session in the court facing another charge. The judge released him and he was re-arrested within less than 24 hours.Siyam’s house has been stormed many times with no clear purpose other than looking for anything that might convict him. Siyam has been arrested many times and was under house arrest for part of 2011. Upon his release from house arrest and he was again arrested on unsubstantiated claims such as throwing stones from al Aqsa Mosque, and destroying cars’ windows. He was also banned from entering the old city of Jerusalem.Siyam’s wife and brother and many of his colleagues have also been exposed to prosecution. Siyam’s lawyer, Leya Tsimel, considered the list of accusations ridiculous and a clear case of political prosecution due to his anti- demolition and settlement activism in Silwan. Silwanic website has documentation proving the fabrication of the case against Siyam . Israeli forces have also pressured Siyam to close the Information Center and issued demolition orders against the Information Center 48 hours after its opening.Legal activists promised that if Siyam is convicted they will publish files exposing unacceptable practices in the attempted prosecution of Siyam.
Siyam said to Silwanic , “I don’t fear them, they are messing up and they are also trying to convict me while they don’t have any real evidence, and they are collecting whom can keep on making legal  complains about me”

Update 09 March, 2012
The Israeli state prosecution in the three ongoing cases against Wadi Hilweh Information Center director Jawad Siyam has called 19 witnesses to testify against him.

Three sessions commenced today in the Jerusalem Magistrates Court at 10am and will continue for three days, to be followed by a hearing with more witnesses. The witnesses will include ELAD settler group employees, police interrogators, and a Palestinian man involved in land acquisition for settler groups, who has constructed a claim of assault against Siyam.