Israeli Human Rights Journalist is imprisoned for just 30 seconds of free speech By Mirianne Azizi, May 2015
Israelis may complain and appear confident to the outside world, but the reality inside is completely different.
Israelis may complain and appear confident to the outside world, but the reality inside is completely different.
Moti Leybel, one of the leading activists in Israel and the most
vocal independent journalist was taken by police last night after only
30 seconds of public free speech and thrown into prison. The
authorities are trying everything to stop the truth being told.
He is an advocate for the many parents in Israel who lose their
children to the Social Services. It is usually a one way ticket, and
with little hope of children ever being returned to their natural
parents, due to the antiquated system and levels of corruption in the
country. He was in particular showing images of a particular social
worker who had been instrumental in removing a baby from a disabled
mother. He has been campaigning for her for most of the year.
The authorities have been trying to gag him intensively for
months, with no success, but achieved a first last night by putting him
in prison. This video shows how quickly police charged on him.
I am following Moti to gath evidence and material for my new book
highlighting the welfare state and divorce laws causing No Exit Orders
and lost children. He acts within the law, though the police on this
occasion did not. He was held for 3 hours of questioning, then process
moved to 'investigation', and he was finally arrested after several more
hours last night. His lawyer Benny Dekel was persistently ignored and
refused access to his client. As Moti was taken to prison, his lawyer
was waking up the most senior judge in the District and at 2am she
ordered his immediate release. Moti Leybel was cuffed hand and feet and
taken to the Russian Compound in Israel facing a night with a mixture
of people who were inside for petty to hard crimes.
"I was strip searched on arrival." Moti says. "Then put in a
cell of approximately 4m x 6m." "Alone?" I ask. "No, there were 10 of
us. There was no window, just a fluorescent light. Everyone smoked so
it was tough to breathe. We were given a nylon bag containing a
cucumber, cream cheese, jam and a few slices of bread. This is the
daily ration, which I was told never varies. I was in a room with
mostly criminals. But I had prepared myself mentally and refused to
feel humiliated."
Throughout the night, every attempt to film from outside was
thwarted by police in this 'democratic' country. Despite the order from
court, the police attempted to have him held for at least another 72
hours.
This morning an order was provided for a 9am court hearing. Moti
was brought to the small open court room chained and escorted by two
police officers. The condition of his freedom was to accept a ban for 6
months to enter the small town outside Jerusalem in which he had spoken
publicly for only 30 seconds.
It was to take a further 3 hours for him to be 'processed' for
release, during which time I filmed the outside of the compound. Police
were trying to prevent me from doing this, and several times I had to
stop filming.
Moti continues to win every charge of harassment made against
him, and endures constant police investigations and attempts to gag his
right to speak out against the brutal systems in Israel.
Taking aside any political views which might exist outside the
country regarding the behaviour of the government, it cannot be stressed
enough that freedom of speech and protests are prevented, with
thousands of people facing corrupt police, lawyers and welfare
officials. If the rights of independent journalists worldwide are
honored, why are the people inside Israel not supported? Any cries of
Anti Semitism cannot be accepted if Jewish Israelis are asking for help.
Only a few weeks ago two leading attorneys and a police official
have been indicted on charges of corruption, and Moti Leybel will
continue in his effort to expose the social workers who cherry pick
children from fit parents, placing them in private institutions at great
profits to the organizations concerned.
It is imperative the truth must get out from Israel to the
outside world and everyone learns how much oppression their citizens
face. All attempts to get this story into Israel's news channels or
press were ignored. The official police spokesman also declined to
comment.
Moti Leybel continues to say he is prepared to sacrifice his life
for the truth to be told to the world. I continue to support his
efforts with the forthcoming book about the difficulties in modern
Israel. It continues to disappoint Israelis that their politicians have
abandoned their social and civil rights, and the world has no sympathy.
More information and videos can be found on my Facebook page and
You Tube where you can find more testimonies of people suffering from
false imprisonment and abuse.
