Deportation of prominent British Human rights activist
saleh on October 26th, 2004International Women’s Peace Service
URGENT PRESS RELEASE
Angie Zelter (also known as Angela Julian), a prominent nonviolent peace and human rights activist from Norfolk, is tonight awaiting deportation in a cell at Ben Gurion airport, Israel.
Having arrived at Ben Gurion airport on Sunday, 24th October, Zelter was detained and interrogated by Israeli authorities for over 12 hours. She was detained as a ’security risk,’ placed in a holding cell at the airport police station, and told that she could be held for up to 7 days before being put on a flight back to Britain.
Zelter is a long-time British peace and justice activist. She is renowned as a founder of Trident Ploughshares, a prominent anti-nuclear organisation. Zelter is a founding member of the international human rights organisation, International Women’s Peace Service-Palestine, a nonviolent human rights monitoring and intervention organisation based in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.
Zelter’s long-time peace work is the subject of the documentary, The Loch Long Monster, about the work of the Trident Ploughshares. Like Uri Avnery and Felicia Langer, Zelter was a recipient in 2001 of the Right Livelihood award, often called the “Alternative Nobel Prize”.
Zelter’s impending deportation must be made public. If Zelter is forced against her will to return to Britain without legitimate reason, it will reveal that Israel does not adhere to the rule of law in its policies towards nonviolent internationals who support justice for Palestinians.
editors note: Angie Zelter was eventually deported, more info available here
For more background information:
