Name: Mu’ath Wa’el Abu Shar’kh

Birth date: 1980

Hometown: Al-Khalil

Residence: Al-Khalil

Sentence: 19 life sentences.

Charges: Membership in Al-Qassam Brigades, weapon training, preparing explosive belts, recruiting members for Al-Qassam Brigades, participating in the planning of the Haifa martyrdom operation executed on 5 March 2003 by Mahmoud El-Qawasma.

Childhood & Education:

Mu’ath was born in 1980 in Al-Kassarah neighborhood in the southeast part of Al-Khalil, near the Zionist settlement of Kiryat Arba’. He was the 5^th child of Wa’el Abu Shar’kh’s 7 children. He was known for his playfulness and humor as a child. And he grew up observing his Islamic duties and worship in Khaled Bin Al-Waleed mosque, where he studied and taught the Holy Quran.  

Mu’ath studied elementary and primary school in Al-Ma’aref school. And he finished his secondary school in the vocational school – carpentry section. He enrolled in the Palestine Polytechnic Institute in Al-Khalil; and graduated shortly before his arrest after studying architectural engineering.

Mu’ath was a social man. Yet he was secretive and independent, disliking when others try to impose or dictate to him what to do. And he disliked chaos and was an organized person.

Imprisonment:

Mu’ath was imprisoned for 10 months in 2000 and for 3 months of administrative detention in 2002 for his activities in the pro-Hamas “Islamic Student Block” in the Palestine Polytechnic Institute in Al-Khalil as well as outside the college.

Late at night on March 2003, IOF surrounded Mu’ath’s house and the houses surrounding it. They forced 40 people out of their homes, including his paraplegic aunt. All men were ordered to take off their clothing, except their underclothes, and searched them thoroughly. They took Mu’ath’s father, 3 uncles, and a cousin and bound their hands and eyes and forced them to sit on the side of the road.

Upon identifying Mu’ath, he was tied and bound and put in a military jeep that transported him to Asqalan prison. The raiding force assisted by a masked man remained after Mu’ath was arrested. They rummaged through the house using police dogs. After 4 hours, they left and freed Mu’ath’s father, 3 uncles, and cousin.

Torture:

Mu’ath was subjected to different forms of torture for 40 days in Asqalan prison. The torture methods included being forced to stand and sit in painful positions for hours, painfully cuffing his hands and feet, covering his face, playing loud music, sleep deprivation, and solitary confinement.

After Asqalan, Mu’ath was transferred to Hadarim prison, where his father, mother and grown relatives are prevented from visiting him. Only his brother Mohammad (12), sister Ishraq (4) and cousin (Wa’el) visited him.

Sentence:

On 13 February 2005, Mu’ath was sentenced to 19 life terms, 12 months suspended sentence and a $45 fine by an occupation military tribunal. The charges were participating in the preparation of the Haifa martyrdom operation of 5 March 2003 that resulted in the death of 17 and injury of tens of Zionists, killing a settler near Kiryat Arba’, membership in Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigade, weapons training, housing wanted resistance fighters, and attacking an occupation military outpost.

He received the sentence with high spirits that astonished the judges. He told them, “We are not murderers and don’t like to kill people. Our religion orders us to preserve life.”

“I am a young man with a degree in architectural engineers, and a full life was ahead of me. But the occupation attacked our land and people and deprived us of our freedom and security. We were forced to take the path of Jihad and resistance; and we were forced to take up arms to defend our people and land.”

“Resistance is a legitimate right for anyone whose land is occupied, established by religions and international law. We practiced our legitimate right and resisted the occupation. And so we didn’t commit any crime. Why are we being tried? All Palestinian prisoners must be released…And the day of their release will come.”

Aftermath:

Mu’ath is currently memorizing the Holy Quran. He has memorized 7 chapters. In addition he is keen to read; and is the prison’s librarian.