Pictures: After detaining his body for 324 days…Martyr Baha’ Alayan is buried in the city of Jerusalem
The body of Martyr Baha’ Alayan was buried on Thursday early morning in Al-Mujahedeen Cemetery in Salah Eddin Street in Jerusalem after it was detained for 324 days in the occupation’s freezers.
Martyr Baha’ Alayan passed away on 13/10/2016 after carrying out a shooting and stabbing attack along with prisoner Bilal Abu Ghanem in an Israeli bus in the settlement of “Armon Hanatsiv” that is established on the lands of the village of Jabal Al-Mukabber.
Throughout the previous months, the Israeli intelligence attempted to put pressure on the Martyr’s family regarding the location of burying the Martyrs (West Bank, Jabal Al-Mukabber or Lions Gate) as well as the number of participants. He was released on Thursday early morning near Al-Mujahedeen Cemetery in Jerusalem; his father explained that the Martyr dreamt to be buried near Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The conditions of the Martyr’s body
The Martyr’s father said: “It was not easy recognizing Baha’ and if I was not his father, I would not recognize him. The body was detained for a long time inside the freezers which changed his facial features especially the eyes and color of the skin. The body was not frozen and we were able to conduct the funeral procedures on it easily.”
A tight cordon around Al-Mujahedeen Cemetery
The occupation forces imposed a tight cordon in the streets around the cemetery especially in Salah Eddin Street, Herod’s Gate and Sultan Suleiman Street. They closed them with police vehicles and iron barriers and prevented locals from using the streets for nearly 3 hours. Special Forces were also deployed at the intersections leading to the cemetery and they closed Herod’s Gate- one of the Old City’s gates.
Lawyer Mohammad Mahmoud…the Martyr’s father checked the body of his son and recognized it before receiving it
The lawyer of prisoners’ affairs, Mohammad Mahmoud, explained that the Israeli forces imposed tight restrictions during the process of releasing and burying the Martyr’s body. Forces were heavily deployed in the cemetery and the releasing location. They seized cell phones from the participants and searched them before entering the cemetery; only 25 family members were allowed to participate in the funeral.
The lawyer explained that the Martyr’s father checked the body of his son and recognized it and made sure it was not frozen before receiving it. Lawyer Mahmoud confirmed that the body was in good condition in regards to the duration it was detained in the occupation’s freezers.
Targeting press crews
The occupation forces targeted press crews who were in the area to cover the releasing of the Martyr’s body. The forces made them leave the areas of Herod’s Gate and Salah Eddin Street and forced them to stay in the area of Lions Gate. They established iron barriers in the area where press crews were kept in order to prevent them from going back to the cemetery’s area.
Suppressing the Martyr’s family and journalists
After finishing the funeral and while the Martyr’s father was talking to the media, the occupation forces assaulted the Martyr’s family and journalists with pushing them. They prevented the Martyr’s father from finishing talking to journalists and used force against him and journalists to push them away from the area; a group of young men supported them with chants for their son.
Witnesses explained that the forces fired sound grenades towards a group of young men in Salah Eddin Street to disperse and prevent them from heading towards the Martyr’s family after the funeral.
After releasing the body of Martyr Abu Ghazaleh, the occupation authorities continue to detain the bodies of 12 Palestinians Martyrs that passed away during the most recent popular uprising. Among them are two Jerusalemites Martyrs; Abdel Muhsen Hassouneh and Mohammad Abu Khalaf. Five Martyrs are from Hebron, they are: Sara Tarayra, Majd Khdour, Mohammad Tarayra, Mustafa Barad’yeh and Mohammad Faqeeh. Wael Abu Saleh and Ansar Harsheh from Tulkarem, Abdel Hameed Sroor from Bethlehem, Rami Awartani from Nablus and Sari Abu Ghurab from Jenin.
