Speech by Dr Haidar Abdul Shafi

Dr. Haidar Abdul Shafi

"Thank you very much, it's my honour and privilege to address you tonight in this honourable place, House of Commons, on a very important issue. Dr. Sarraj and myself came to London carrying with us the hopes and signatures of tens of thousands of Palestinians who are very worried about the case of Samar and Jawad, who are sentenced to this long term in prison. And they are calling on the British government and the British judiciary to re-examine the sentence that was passed on these two people.

We Palestinians, because we stayed 25 years under British mandate, we are familiar with the British justice system and it is our impression that was formed since the mandatory date is a favourable one. I remember the case when the people of Jaffa raised the case against the mandatory government, concerning its action in demolishing a good part of the old city in Jaffa, and at that time the high court of justice presided over by judge Adams ruled in favour of the people of Jaffa against the mandatory government. So as I say, our basic feeling as Palestinian people is that the British justice is fair and good and we hope that the British government and judiciary will maintain this impression.

Now Samar and Jawad and other Palestinian youngsters, as you well know they are very distressed with what the Palestinians have been suffering since occupation, all kinds of oppression, deportation, the restriction of movement detention and torture. And in this situation they are moved to what they can do in defence against such actions. So as we continue to bedevilled by Israeli practices they try to find a way of what to do and how to answer this. And it is very often very amateurish as is the case with Samar and Jawad. They don't know enough to be able to respond in real and effective manner, and so it is really out of the question to say that Jawad and Samar are terrorists. It is far from the fact. It is Palestinian people who have been suffering so much in every way and they are trying to find a way of responding to this situation. So I can't add much to what Tony Benn had said explaining the situation.

Yesterday we had a meeting with their lawyer Gareth Peirce and it is now very well known that Samar and Jawad are innocent of the act of bombing of the Israeli embassy and Balfour house. So in the face of this it is imperative that there should be reconsideration of the case. That's really what we came to emphasise. And finally the duty of the judiciary is to meet justice. So as long as there is no evidence that they actually did this act of bombing, then it is imperative in the light of all the added evidence to this that the British judiciary should re- examine this sentence and give a chance for a new approach to the situation. Thank you very much."

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