Rugby woman arrested in Palestine protest

Buy photos » Tear gas is fired at Palestinian protestors by Israeli soldiers during a demonstration in a village in the West Bank. Picture courtesy of the International Solidarity Movement. (s)

A YOUNG Rugby woman was one of four human rights activists arrested by Israeli soldiers during a non-violent protest against the occupation of Palestinian territories.

Aimee McGovern was imprisoned for over 48 hours after being arrested on Friday (September 21) during a demonstration in a village in the West Bank - a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel according to the United Nations.

The 23-year-old was there with the pro-Palestine International Solidarity Movement and was detained along with three other human rights activists - a British man and woman, and an American woman - along with two Palestinian men.

She and the other three activists will remain under house arrest until Sunday (September 30).

According to the campaign group, the former Bilton High School and Warwickshire College student was threatened with mace and an armoured bulldozer when they laid down on the ground trying to resist arrest.

Reports suggest another group of activists were kicked and beaten, and had their cameras broken, during the incident.

The group spent 36 hours in prison before being taken to a short court hearing conducted in Hebrew where the four were accused of throwing stones at Israeli soldiers.

All four denied the charge and now remain under house arrest in Tel Aviv.

Afterwards, they will either be freed to return to their human rights campaigning, or deported.

Ms McGovern arrived in Israel on September 3 and has been documenting events in the West Bank.

She was attending a demonstration in the village of Kufr Qaddoum, where Palestinian villagers hold weekly demonstrations over the closure of the main road, which is now exclusively for Israeli use.

The regular demonstrations have seen the Israeli army step up its attempts to stop them.

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