Israel Arrests and Tortures American Citizen
17 September 1998
Israel Arrests and Tortures American Citizen
On August 18 American-born Hashem Mufleh, eighteen years old, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was arrested by Israeli airport authorities as he was leaving Israel with his mother to return to his country to attend the University of New Mexico. His father, a jeweler in Albuquerque, remained in Albuquerque while Hashem and his mother went to Ramallah so Hashem could attend high school there and learn Arabic so the family ties could be retained with relatives there. His brother is in college in Florida, and a married sister lives in the United States.
According to Todd Haskell, the American Consul in Tel Aviv, Mufleh reported that he had been tortured, and Haskell observed that Mufleh was disoriented and told his family that he was concerned about his mental state. Mufleh was not allowed to be visited by either his attorney, Jonathan Kuttab or the American Consul for about eleven days and admitted that he had signed a “confession” after days of interrogation.
His attorney, Jonathan Kuttab, reports that he was denied access to his client on September 14 and was told that the prison authorities didn’t know where Mufleh was. At that very time Mufleh was taken to a military court without benefit of counsel. A “Charge Sheet” was issued and is included in this press release. Furthermore, the court asserts that Hashem asked to be imprisoned for two more months and set a trial date for November 4. Kuttab, his attorney, has said, “The charges are ridiculous and it is hard to believe that the Israelis can credibly suggest that Hashem has requested imprisonment.”
It is a matter of record that this is the second time a US citizen from Albuquerque has been arrested and tortured by Israel. A deputy sheriff and successful jeweler in Albaquerque who was visiting his 74-year-old mother on the West Bank in 1984 and was arrested, interrogated and tortured for twenty-two days. He was released only after he had a heart attack.
According to a press spokesperson for the US Department of State, they have requested that Israeli authorities investigate Mr. Mufleh’s allegations of mistreatment during his interrogation. There is no response to this request to date. Senator Bingaman, New Mexico, has protested to the Israeli Ambassador and as of September 15 his office reported that there had been no reply. Representative Bill Redmond has protested to the Israeli Ambassador and many other officials, also without response. The Gallup Independent (Gallup New Mexico) has carried stories about the arrest and subsequent events since August 24 and Malcolm Brenner has written a protest to the US Ambassador to the United Nations referencing his stories in the Gallup Independent. He has received no reply.
