Residents of Bilâin and foreign activists held their weekly protest against the Wall this Friday, showered as always with tear gas and sounds bombs. The day prior, another member of the popular committee was arrested by Occupation forces, making him the 28th kidnapped from the village.
At 2:00 AM on Thursday morning, a group of soldiers with black painted faces raided the house of 48-year-old popular committee member Mohammed Abu Rahmeh, known as Abu Nizar. The soldiers broke into his home and pulled him from the bed where he and his wife were sleeping. They proceeded to beat him before dragging him to the Wall, where waiting jeeps carried him off.
Last week, Abu Nizarâs 14-year-old son Nashmi Mohammed Ibrahim Abu was also arrested. To date, 28 people have been arrested, (most of which are under 18), and 19 remain imprisoned.
As part of an ongoing campaign to target those active in Bilâinâs demonstrations, Occupation forces have forced confessions and falsified evidence. The most recent example occurred during the trial of Mohammed Khatib, where the prosecution attempted to use a photograph that allegedly proved Khatib was throwing stones. He was released on bail after it was shown that the picture was taken while he was out of the country.