The iconic 16-year old Palestinian teen Ahed al-Tamimi, who has fearlessly stood up to Israeli military occupation numerous times, is facing charges at an Israeli military court.
At a hearing held on Thursday the Israeli Ofer Prison, Israeli prosecutors announced their decision to indict the young “heroine” on charges that include aggravated assault and insulting a soldier.
Israeli soldiers raided Tamimi's home and abducted her away on 18 December, one days after a video of her standing up to an Israeli soldier was posted on the internet and had gone viral.
In the video, the teenager is seen shouting at the soldiers to leave in front of her family’s home in Nabi Saleh, a village in the occupied West Bank.
Shortly after she was abducted, her father Bassem al-Tamimi confirmed the news on Facebook. Her mother went in morning to the Israeli prison to ask about her, but she has not returned home yet.
Tamimi, along with her cousin Nour and her mother Nariman, remain abducted despite international calls for her release. In fact, her abduction will be extended for several days as prosecutors prepare the charges.
In 2015, she earned the admiration of Palestine solidarity activists worldwide after photos and videos circulated of the then-14-year-old – along with her female cousin, her aunt and her mother – fighting an Israeli occupation soldier who was pinning down her 12-year old male brother.
Ahed was seen in the picture biting the soldier's hand after he smacked her in the face. It was clear that the Israeli soldier was trying to abduct her brother who was in cast.
The Tamimi family are popular advocates for the Palestinian cause in the village, which is the site of weekly protests against the Israeli occupation.
The hashtag #FreeAhedTamimi began trending on Twitter. Memes calling for her release in English and Arabic have been shared across social media.
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