Violation: forcing a family to demolish its own residence.
date: November 1, 2012.
Location: Sharafat neighborhood, Beit Safafa – the Occupied City of Jerusalem.
Perpetrators: the Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City.
Victim: Mousa Ulayyan.
Details:
On November 1, 2012, Mousa Ulayyan, a doctor who found himself knocking down his own residence after a number of Israeli threats. Mousa Ulayaan is the soul supporter of a nine-member family which used to live in a house with a total area of 65 m2. The house was built in 1965, two years before the Israeli takeover of the City.
The owner said: ‘the family has become bigger and the old house is not enough to accommodate all the members so I decided to enlarge the house over the plot which is mine. in 2004, I applied for a construction license but my application was rejected by the Municipality which claimed that the house stands in an area not designated for construction. They left me no choice but to build ‘illegally’ because the family could not take it anymore. In 2005, I started the expansion and as soon as I finished the roofing I received a stop-work order and was penalized an amount of 85,000 ILS. I assigned Sami Rashid, an attorney of law, to follow up the case and try to proceed with my license application. In 2008, the Municipality decided that this area is designated for construction now but my they kept stalling in regard to my application.
On September 5, 2012, the Municipality decided to demolish the residence and ordered me to do so before November 18 or else I will be charged with demolition and cleaning costs which are too much. On November 1, 2012, my sons and I made a number f holes in the walls to make the house unusable‘.
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The owner is waiting for the Municipality inspector to come and confirm partial demolition; if not, they will be forced to demolish the whole property.
