ON
26 July 1994 two large car bombs exploded in London outside the Israeli Embassy
and Balfour House. In December 1996, two young Palestinians, Jawad Botmeh and
Samar Alami, were convicted of conspiring to cause explosions in the UK. The
evidence centred around their alleged involvement in those bombings. They were
sentenced to 20 years in prison after which they face deportation.
They are both innocent.
Samar and Jawad were convicted after a trial at which their defence tore apart
practically all of the prosecution evidence, evidence which even the judge acknowledged
was "all circumstantial". But the conspiracy charge they faced was deliberately
vague. It allowed the prosecution to use all kinds of weak evidence and innuendo
to convince the jury that Samar and Jawad had some involvement in the bombings.
Much of this 'evidence' related to their political activities in support of
Palestinian human rights. They had between them a mountain of literature on
the subject. Amongst all the snide portrayals of legitimate Palestinian political
activities, it became irrelevant that there was no actual evidence linking Samar
or Jawad with any involvement in those bombings.
They were trapped, probably deliberately, by someone they thought they knew
and trusted but who it is now clear was involved in the bombings.
There are suspicions of a cover-up, and perhaps of Israeli involvement. A senior
MI5 manager believed the bombings were carried out by the Israelis. An Israeli
journalist attempted to pass a phone number to a juror during the trial. And
a year after the trial it was leaked that MI5 had received information in warnings
before the bombings -- but it is still refusing to disclose this evidence.
Indeed, most of the story surrounding those bombings is still unexplained. Large
amounts of evidence has been covered up in the 'public interest' on security
grounds.
Mrs Peirce, Samar and Jawad's solicitor, says "I am totally, absolutely and
one hundred per cent sure, as sure as of any person that I have ever represented,
that these two have no involvement whatsoever in the bombing of the Israeli
Embassy...At the end of this case I felt feelings that I have not experienced
before save in the context of bereavement."
She was similarly sure of the innocence of her clients in the Guildford Four
and the Birmingham Six, also wrongfully convicted after politically influenced
trials.
Please read this short booklet. If you agree that there are serious doubts
over the safety of Samar and Jawad's convictions then contact the Freedom and
Justice for Samar and Jawad campaign.
