Israel indicted on Monday the Palestinian teenager, who was filmed slapping a soldier at the entrance of her family home.
Ahed Tamimi, 16, was indicted on charges of assault for the incident, which made her into a hero for Palestinians and was seen as humiliating by right-wing Israelis.
Israel has held Ahed Tamimi since arresting her three days after her confrontation with the soldier. The incident took place after what Israel says was a stone-throwing assault on its troops.
The case has made her into such a symbol for Palestinians that a commentator in Israeli left-wing newspaper Haaretz said Israel risked turning her into the “Palestinian Joan of Arc”.
Right-wing Israelis, meanwhile, have debated whether the soldier had appeared weak by opting not to strike back. The Israeli army said he “acted professionally” by showing restraint.
The charge sheet against Tamimi, seen by Reuters, included counts of aggravated assault against a soldier, who the army said was bruised on his brow by her punch, obstructing a soldier in the performance of his duty and throwing stones at troops. The court indicted Tamimi for previous altercations with Israeli forces. It extended her remand for eight days.
“Tamimi threw stones at them (the soldiers), threatened them, obstructed them in fulfilling their duty, took part in riots and incited others to take part in them,” the military said on its public affairs Twitter account.
Tamimi’s lawyer, Gaby Lasky, said she was certain some of the charges would eventually be dismissed, but nonetheless prosecutors may seek the maximum penalty for other counts.
“I am sure they want to keep her as long as possible because they don’t want the voice of resistance outside prison,” Lasky told Reuters at the military courtroom in Ofer prison near the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
Tamimi was not asked to enter a plea at this stage. The military court gave her lawyer more time to study the charges.
An adult found guilty of assaulting a soldier could be jailed for up to 10 years, but such an outcome would be unlikely for Tamimi as a minor.
Tamimi was filmed in December outside her family home in Nabi Saleh in the West Bank, pushing, kicking and slapping the soldiers, who fended off the blows without retaliating.
Her father Bassem, a prominent Palestinian activist, has said she was upset when she approached the soldiers after her 15-year-old cousin had been shot with a rubber bullet. The military confirmed rubber bullets had been used following what it said was a violent demonstration, but had no information about who was shot.
Bassem called Monday's indictment a "political trial" saying Israel dug up old incidents as well as the one filmed in order to "justify her arrest."
Tamimi made news two years ago when she was pictured biting a soldier who tried to arrest her younger brother. In 2012 she was presented with an award in Turkey and met its president, Tayyip Erdogan, after images of her confronting an Israeli soldier went viral.
In a separate case, the family of a female Palestinian lawmaker who has been jailed without charge since July said her detention has been extended for another six months.
Khalida Jarrar has been held under an Israeli policy called administrative detention, which allows Palestinians to be arrested for months at a time without any charges being filed.
Jarrar, who is in her mid-50s, is a popular figure among Palestinians and is known for fiery speeches against Israel. In 2015, Israel sentenced her to 15 months for incitement to violence.
