Cheers and sighs of relief rose from 18 CPT supporters in the narrow hallway
outside the "Shalom Court" room in Jerusalem today when CPTers Pierre Shantz
and Sara Reschly were
released from police custody

Shantz and Reschly were arrested for stopping Israeli soldiers from firing on
peaceful civilian demonstrators yesterday afternoon in front of Hebron's Il
Ibrahimi mosque. Reschly was released Sunday night on condition she return to
the police station in the morning, but Shantz was held in prison
overnight. He arrived at the courtroom this morning with hands and feet
shackled.

Israeli, Palestinian and international friends had waited anxiously since 9
a.m. for Reschly and Shantz to appear at the courthouse. Periodic calls
brought news from Reschly, who had one of the team's mobile telephones at the
police station. Journalists interviewed CPTers Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, Mark
Frey and Joanne Kaufman while supporters talked in the halls.

Shortly after noon, police brought Reschly and Shantz to the courts in the
Russian Compound in Jerusalem. According to Shantz, the charges brought
against him were, "pushing two border police and hitting one on the helmet"
and "interfering with police doing their duty."

Shantz said, "I intervened with the soldier trying to shoot at the nonviolent
demonstrators, but I never hit one or pushed one."

Reschly said she was accused of "yelling 'don't shoot' at soldiers," and
"assaulting a soldier, i.e. pushing him in the chest two feet back."
Regarding the latter charge, she said, "I believe in nonviolence. I would
never do that." A third charge, by a Russian-speaking soldier, that Reschly
called him a Nazi, was dropped after it was discovered that he didn't speak
English.

Police pressured Reschly and Shantz to avoid a courtroom hearing by accepting
the stipulation that they stay out of Hebron for 15 days. The pressure
continued from the time Reschly arrived at the police station at 8:30 a.m.
until they entered the courtroom. But both CPTers refused to accept this
limitation on their movements.

Around 1 p.m. the pair walked into the courtroom, followed by the hodge-podge
support group who sat on benches for the hearing. Israeli friends translated
the proceedings for the non-Hebrew speaking supporters, and an artist friend
sketched the scene.

The Israeli judge told the police officer that police did not have a strong
enough case to prohibit Reschly and Shantz from returning to Hebron. He
decided that they could be freed while the police continue to investigate the
case.

The pair agreed that until February 1, the allotted time for the police
investigation, they would relinquish their
passports, report to the police station when asked and pay 2000 shekels each,
about $1000 U.S. total, in bond. If no charges are brought before February
1, the passports and bond money will be returned. The money was raised on the
spot by the group of supporters attending the hearing. The judge said that
Reschly and Shantz must use Hebrew copies of their court proceedings in place
of their passports at checkpoints.

CPT's Palestinian-Israeli lawyer, Jonathan Kuttab, said he doubts that the
police will bring charges. He said he supported the action. "You have a lot
of moral power that both sides recognize. . . Running around without guns
throws [both sides] off and gives you leverage."

After the court hearing, team members and a Palestinian friend relaxed in a
restaurant where Shantz talked about his night in an Israeli prison where he
had been well-treated. CPT's Palestinian friend then shared about his 18-day
administrative detentions and torture experiences in Israeli prisons, putting
the events of the last two days into perspective.