Protesters in Beirut call on Israel to release Palestinian teen
Beirut: Lebanese and Palestinian protesters, including children from Palestinian refugee camps, participated in a protest in Beirut on Tuesday to show solidarity with a teenager and other Palestinian minors being held in Israeli prisons.
The Khiam Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture organised the protest in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offices, Efe reported.
The group also presented a letter of protest to the ICRC's head in Lebanon, Christophe Martin, stating that the arrest, torture, trial and house arrest of children constituted both a human rights violation and a war crime.
In addition, the center called on the Red Cross to denounce the arrest of Palestinian children and all inhumane practices against the Palestinian people in the occupied territories.
Palestinian teenager Ahed al-Tamimi was arrested last week after appearing in a video that shows her scuffling with Israeli soldiers.
The video, which went viral on the Internet, shows al-Tamimi shouting, pushing and slapping two Israeli soldiers.
The 16-year-old girl and her mother, Nariman, were later arrested.
People all over the world have condemned their detention and taken to social media to call for their release.
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Kerala HC gives interim protection from arrest to Rahul Mamkootathil in rape case
Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court on Saturday gave interim protection from arrest to expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil in a case of rape and forced abortion against him.
Justice K Babu said that it will hear Mamkootathil's anticipatory bail plea on December 15 and till then he should not be arrested.
"Petitioner shall not be arrested during the pendency. Post on December 15, 2025," the court said.
Advocate S Rajeev, appearing for the expelled Congress MLA confirmed the order.
However, Mamkootathil is accused in a second case of sexual assault.
A sessions court in Thiruvananthapuram had on Thursday rejected his plea for anticipatory bail in the first case of rape and forced abortion registered against him last week.
A second rape case was lodged against him on Wednesday based on the complaint of a second woman, a resident of Bengaluru.
Mamkootathil, who has been absconding since the registration of the first rape case against him, has claimed in his plea in the High Court that he was innocent and his custodial interrogation was not required.
He has also contended that the relationship between him and the first complainant was consensual and when it became strained, a complaint was lodged against him.
The MLA has further claimed that the woman was married, but separated from her husband, and in order to "save her own skin" she disowned their relationship.
In his plea, Mamkootathil has said that he was prepared to explain each and every circumstance of the offences alleged against him and will also cooperate with the probe if he would get an opportunity to appear before the investigating officer without any fear of arrest.
He has also alleged that there is an attempt by the investigation agency to "mislead the facts" and he has got ample documents to establish the same.
