Israeli Occupation Detains Italian Graffiti Artists over Mural of Palestinian Resistance Icon Ahed Tamimi

OCCUPIED PALESTINE- Israeli occupation forces have detained two Italian graffiti artists who were working on a mural of a jailed Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi, Press TV reported.

According to Palestinian officials on Saturday, the two Italian artists and a Palestinian who was accompanying them were detained while they were working on a painting on the controversial Israeli apartheid wall in Bethlehem in the West Bank.

One of the detained artists, Agostino Chirwin, also known as ‘Jorit Agoch,’ has a reputation for hyper-realistic murals of activists, politicians and other campaigners.

 He was painting a 13-foot mural of Palestinian resistance icon Ahed Tamimi, as part of the preparations to celebrate Tamimi’s release, as she would be released on Sunday, according to Palestine Chronicle.

 Tamimi was sent to prison for assault after a film of her kicking and slapping an Israeli soldier in the West Bank went viral on December 15 last year.

The confrontation reportedly erupted after Israeli forces shot Tamimi’s cousin in the face with rubber bullet earlier that day leading to her anger.

Faced with embarrassment as that video went viral, Israelis decided to arrest the courageous teenager. They took her into custody on December 19. According to some accounts, 20 Israeli army Jeeps arrived at Ahed’s house before dawn to arrest her. Thirteen days later, she was charged with alleged assault, incitement, and throwing stones at Israeli military soldiers. 

During her incarceration Tamimi lawyer has accused her Israeli interrogator of sexual harassment.

H.M