Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli forces have denied a 7-year-old Palestinian girl permission to visit her Ukrainian-born mother who is serving 20 years in an Israeli jail.
Ghazala Sarahna has lived with her grandparents in the Deheisha refugee camp south of Bethlehem since her mother was jailed on 23 May 2002. She has a Palestinian birth certificate, but she does not have a Palestinian identity number. She used to visit her mother in jail using her birth certificate as identification. Recently the Israeli authorities decided to stop her visits to her mother because she has no identity number.
She can not be issued an identity card issued as her parents are both serving prison sentences.
Ghazala's grandfather appealed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to intervene to help Ghazala visit her mother.
The Israeli military court at Ofer sentenced her mother, 29-year-old Irena Sarahna, to 20 years imprisonment.
Irena was born in the Ukraine and married a Palestinian, Ibrahim Sarahna, from Dheisheh refugee camp. He is currently serving a concurrent sentence of six life terms plus 45 years. Irena and Ibrahim were arrested in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv, and were charged with transporting a Palestinian who blew himself up in Rishon Letzion in 2002. The explosion killed two Israelis and injured 50.
The Israeli intelligence services Shabak (also known as Shin Bet), claimed that both suspects had admitted that they transferred Issa Bdair from West Bank city of Beit Jala, as well as another Palestinian girl, from Beit Sahour, who intended to undertake another operation.
Irena was initially sentenced to three years imprisonment and was given the option of either being deported back to the Ukraine or serving a jail sentence. Her lawyers appealed but lost the case and her sentence was extended to 20 years.
The couple has two daughters, 7-year-old Ghazala, who lives with her grandparents in Dheisheh, and 9-year-old Jasmin, who lives in Russia with her maternal grandmother.
To view the article on Maan News Agency's website, please click here.
Ghazala Sarahna has lived with her grandparents in the Deheisha refugee camp south of Bethlehem since her mother was jailed on 23 May 2002. She has a Palestinian birth certificate, but she does not have a Palestinian identity number. She used to visit her mother in jail using her birth certificate as identification. Recently the Israeli authorities decided to stop her visits to her mother because she has no identity number.
She can not be issued an identity card issued as her parents are both serving prison sentences.
Ghazala's grandfather appealed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to intervene to help Ghazala visit her mother.
The Israeli military court at Ofer sentenced her mother, 29-year-old Irena Sarahna, to 20 years imprisonment.
Irena was born in the Ukraine and married a Palestinian, Ibrahim Sarahna, from Dheisheh refugee camp. He is currently serving a concurrent sentence of six life terms plus 45 years. Irena and Ibrahim were arrested in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv, and were charged with transporting a Palestinian who blew himself up in Rishon Letzion in 2002. The explosion killed two Israelis and injured 50.
The Israeli intelligence services Shabak (also known as Shin Bet), claimed that both suspects had admitted that they transferred Issa Bdair from West Bank city of Beit Jala, as well as another Palestinian girl, from Beit Sahour, who intended to undertake another operation.
Irena was initially sentenced to three years imprisonment and was given the option of either being deported back to the Ukraine or serving a jail sentence. Her lawyers appealed but lost the case and her sentence was extended to 20 years.
The couple has two daughters, 7-year-old Ghazala, who lives with her grandparents in Dheisheh, and 9-year-old Jasmin, who lives in Russia with her maternal grandmother.
To view the article on Maan News Agency's website, please click here.
