ISRAEL: Three Conscientious Objectors imprisoned since the beginning of the year

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Since the beginning of the year 2002, three conscientious objectors were imprisoned in Israel, bringing the total number up to seven imprisoned objectors.
Eran Razgour (ISR11612) was tried today and received a sentence of 21 days in prison after the military Conscience Committee has refused to release him from the army. Eran Razgour already spent 42 days in prison between 28 October and 4 December 2001 (ISR11612-301001). He refuses to serve in the Israeli military on moral and political grounds. He is presently held in Military Prison no 4.

Eran Razgour
Military ID Number 7118061
Military Prison No 4
Military Postal Number 02507
IDF, Israel

Conscientious objector Avinoam Klein (ISR11806) has been sentenced on 1 January 2002 to 21 days in prison, plus a suspended sentence of 7 more days for refusing to serve in reserves. He entered Military Prison No 4 in Tzrifin yesterday.
Avinoam Klein is 27 years old. He is a warehouse worker and a student of music from Givataim. In a statement he prepared, Avinoam said the following: "What kills me is the wonder....the closure of thought that leads people to accept things they are told without thinking about them themselves. It is sad that
people do not understand that one should not serve in the army, that one should not have to kill another in order not to get killed themselves. What happened in the past should not necessarily be what happens in the future".
His prison address is:

Avinoam Klein
Military ID Number 5089861
Military Prison 4,
Military Postal Code 02507
IDF, Israel

Adi Eilat (ISR11807) is a reserves captain who refuses to serve in the Occupied Territories. He stated: "At this time, serving in uniform in the territories represents everything I don't believe in". He was sentenced yesterday to 18 days detention and is held in Military Prison No. 6. His prison address is:

Capt. Adi Eilat
Military Prison 6,
Military Postal Code 03734
IDF, Israel.

The other imprisoned conscientious objectors are Yair Khilou (ISR11763), who was sentenced to 28 days imprisonment on 23 December 2001. He is one of the initiators of the "letter of the twelfth-graders" (a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Sharon, signed by 62 youths, announcing their refusal to cooperate with the Israeli army's actions). He is held in Military Prison No 4.

Yair Khilou
Military ID 7274070
Military Prison No 4
Military postal number 02507
IDF, Israel

Yair Halper (ISR11599) is imprisoned since 17 October 2001, for refusing to enlist in the army. He is due to be released today, but it is highly likely that he will be imprisoned again immediately. Leonid Kressner (ISR11598) is imprisoned since 15 October and was sentenced to 4 1/2 months imprisonment.
A seventh conscientious objector wishs to remain anonymous.

In 2001, more than 30 conscientious objectors served prison sentences in Israel's military prisons, according to information provided by New Profile, an Israeli organisation supporting conscientious objectors. There is no right to conscientious objection for men in Israel.

War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of all imprisoned conscientious objectors in Israel. War Resisters' International calls for letters of support to the imprisoned conscientious objectors, and letters of protest to the Israeli authorities, and Israeli embassies abroad.

Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International
ADDRESSES:

Commander of Military Prison No. 4,
Military Prison No. 4,
Military postal number 02507, IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-957-52-76

Commander of Military Prison No 6
Military Prison No 6
Military postal number 03734
IDF, Israel

Faxes and letters can also be sent to:

Mr. Binyamin Ben-Eliezer,
Minister of Defence,
Ministry of Defence,
37 Kaplan st.,
Tel-Aviv 61909,
Israel.
e-mail: mailto:sar@mod.gov.il or mailto:pniot@mod.gov.il Fax: ++972-3-696-27-57 / ++972-3-691-69-40 / ++972-3-691-79-15

Deborah Chassid
Commander of Induction Base, Tel-HaShomer Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52

Addresses of Israeli media:
Ma'ariv:
2 Karlibach st.
Tel-Aviv 67132
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-561-06-14
e-mail: editor@maariv.co.il

Yedioth Aharonoth:
2 Moses st.
Tel-Aviv
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-608-25-46

Ha'aretz (Hebrew):
21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-681-00-12

Ha'aretz (English edition):
21 Schocken st.
Tel-Aviv, 61001
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-512-11-56
e-mail: letters@haaretz.co.il

Jerusalem Post:
POB 81
Jerusalem 91000
Israel
Fax: ++972-2-538-95-27
e-mail: news@jpost.co.il or letters@jpost.co.il

Jerusalem Report:
Fax: ++972-2-537-94-89

Radio (fax numbers):
Kol-Israel ++972-2-531-33-15 and ++972-3-694-47-09 Galei Tzahal ++972-3-512-67-20

Television (fax numbers):
Channel 1 ++972-2-530-15-36
Channel 2 ++972-2-533-98-09