Ahmed Tobasi, Mustafa Sheta, and Jamal Abu Joas.
JENIN, WEST BANK: On Wednesday, Dec. 13, the Freedom Theatre introduced the arrest of a number of of its members. Creative director Ahmed Tobasi, producer and normal supervisor Mustafa Sheta, and Jamal Abu Joas, who not too long ago graduated from the Freedom Theatre Performing Arts College, have been all detained by Israeli safety forces.
The Freedom Theatre wrote on its social media that Tobasi was arrested exterior his residence within the Jenin refugee camp, the place the theatre operates, and that Sheta was additionally arrested at his residence. A press release from the theatre’s workers says that Abu Joas was additionally arrested at his residence. The theatre’s assertion says that Tobasi, Sheta, and Abu Joas have been all arrested by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). A number of Israeli safety forces function within the West Financial institution, together with border police. Whereas it’s probably that the IDF made the arrests, this has not been confirmed by an unbiased media supply as of this writing.
Based on the Freedom Theatre, Tobasi and his brother, Mohammed, have been arrested throughout an IDF operation in Jenin the morning of Dec. 13. The theatre’s assertion says that Tobasi went exterior his residence in response to noise and was then assaulted by an IDF officer; IDF officers then reportedly entered Tobasi’s residence, destroyed quite a lot of digital objects, and retrieved Mohammed Tobasi earlier than handcuffing each brothers. They quickly launched Mohammed Tobasi.
The Freedom Theatre posted video footage of Tobasi’s residence after the operation, taken by Tobasi’s household. Ahmed Tobasi was launched on Dec. 14, as confirmed by the theatre.
“They handled us like animals,” Tobasi mentioned upon his launch. “They’re attempting to harm us in any method they’ll, nevertheless it’s necessary we keep robust.”
Sheta was additionally arrested the morning of Dec. 13 and stays in detention. Based on Sheta’s household, IDF particular forces members blindfolded Sheta earlier than his arrest.
“My youngsters spent their night time crying,” Rasha Sheta, Mustafa Sheta’s spouse, instructed the Freedom Theatre. “We felt so scared with out him being round with us. We don’t know why he was arrested.”
The theatre additionally states that Abu Joas was arrested by military forces at his residence on Dec. 13, and that officers confiscated Abu Joas’s cellphone and digicam and assaulted him. He stays in detention.
In January, Freedom Theatre normal meeting member Yahya Zubeidi was arrested at or close to a checkpoint between Jericho and Jenin attributable to “suspicion of involvement in terrorist exercise,” based on the IDF. The Freedom Theatre additionally confirmed Zubeidi’s arrest on their social media on the time; there was no information of his launch since. Zubeidi is the brother of the Freedom Theatre co-founder Zakaria Zubeidi, who was beforehand a member of the Jenin department of an armed militant group, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Zakaria participated in a high-profile amnesty cope with Israel in 2007 and started collaborating with artist Juliano Mer Khamis on the Freedom Theatre.
In 2011, Mer Khamis was assassinated and the Israeli authorities rescinded Zakaria Zubeidi’s pardon. He was detained in 2019 and escaped from jail in 2021, however was captured and stays in Israeli army detention.
Of their assertion, the Freedom Theatre provides that in the previous few weeks, three members of their firm have been killed: Yamen Jarar, a 16-year-old Freedom Theatre participant, by drone hearth on Nov. 3, based on Protection for Kids Worldwide; theatre member Jehad Naghniyeh Torokman, 25, by an Israeli army officer, additionally on Nov. 3, based on PEN America and Palestinian tv channel Fajer TV; and Mohammed Matahen, an usher and front-of-house staffer, killed on Nov. 9, based on the Freedom Theatre.
The present conflict between Israel and Hamas, which governs the Palestinian territory of Gaza, has exacerbated tensions within the West Financial institution and resulted in a rise of army-led arrests and civilian unrest and violence. Haaretz has estimated that Israeli safety forces killed greater than 200 Palestinians within the West Financial institution between Oct. 7 and Nov. 28.
A number of organizations based mostly within the U.S. and world wide are organizing for Sheta’s launch. This can be a growing story.
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