Brussels, 22/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 22 May 2012, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton said she was very concerned about the way a Palestinian Left Bank activist, Bassem Tamimi, had been found guilty by a military tribunal of taking part in illegal demonstrations and encouraging other demonstrators to throw stones. A spokesperson for Catherine Ashton said “the EU considers Bassem Tamimi to be a human rights defender committed to non-violent protest against the expansion of an Israeli settlement on lands belonging to his West Bank village of Nabi Saleh”. “Everyone should be able to exercise their right to legitimate protest in a non-violent manner”, he continued. The spokesperson said the EU was also concerned about the way Tamimi's trial had relied upon testimony a boy of fifteen, who had been interrogated “in violation of his rights”. (CG/transl.fl)