Freed Al-Tamimi arrives in Amman after 10 Years in Israeli prisons

Freed Palestinian detainee Ahlam al-Tamimi arrived in Amman from Cairo last night after she was released as part of the first phase of the Palestinian-Israeli swap deal which includes the release of a total of 1027 Palestinian detainees in exchange for the release of Shalit. Ahlam received a warm welcome at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman by her relatives, residents, political activists and union members, who also carried Palestinian flags and signs welcoming her. Ahlam al-Tamimi was born in 1980 in the Jordanian city of al-Zarqa to a Palestinian family with roots in the Palestinian village of al-Nabi Saleh near Ramallah. She completed her elementary, junior and secondary education in al-Zarqa before returning to Palestine and enrolling in the Department of Media and Journalism at Bir Zeit University. Ahlam endeavored to battle against the Occupation in her own way and focused her energies on a local television program broadcasting out of Ramallah called 'Independence' which monitored the illicit practices of the Occupation. Ahlam took part in several operations against the Israeli occupation in the occupied West Jerusalem, but her biggest operation was the attack that shook Jerusalem in the 9th of August in 2001 when she was detained. A Zionist Military Court sentenced her to 16 life terms, i.e. 1584 years with the recommendation that she should not be released in any possible prisoner exchange deals. Ahlam was not spared from continual and severe beatings and torture which led to her hands being broken and to her deteriorating health status. She suffers from stomach and joint disease as a result of her mistreatment, the unhealthy conditions of her detention and lack of exposure to sunlight for periods stretching over weeks.