Palestinian activist Salah Khawaja‘s hearing was once again postponed by an Israeli military court at Ofer prison on Thursday, 15 December. A member of the Secretariat of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) and an active member of the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall), Khawaja was seized from his home in a violent pre-dawn raid by occupation forces on 26 October. He was subjected to over 20 days of harsh interrogation and ill-treatment at Petah Tikva interrogation center.
During that time, Khawaja was forbidden from seeing his lawyer for over two weeks and brought blindfolded into the military court. He was beaten, kicked, and threatened during interrogation and was then transferred to Ofer prison.
Salah Khawaja’s next hearing at the Ofer military court will take place on Tuesday, 20 December.
Take Action:
1. Participate in the Front Line Defenders action, urging the Israeli state to immediately release Khawaja and end its persecution of Palestinian human rights defenders. Join in here: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/action/take-action-salah-khawaja
2. Demand your country’s officials speak up and end the silence and complicity in the detention of Salah Khawaja and other Palestinian human rights defenders, and over 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners. Call your foreign affairs officials – and members of parliament – and urge action on this case.
Call during your country’s regular office hours:
- Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop: + 61 2 6277 7500
- Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion: +1-613-996-5789
- European Union Commissioner Federica Mogherini: +32 (0) 2 29 53516
- New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully: +64 4 439 8000
- United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson: +44 20 7008 1500
- United States President Barack Obama: 1-202-456-1111
Tell your government:
- Salah Khawaja, a Palestinian human rights defender, has been arbitrarily detained since 26 October and denied access to a lawyer. Salah is one of the primary Palestinian voices against the illegal settlements and wall destroying Palestinian land.
- Your government must demand Salah’s immediate release and an end to the persecution of Palestinian human rights defenders by the Israeli state.
- Israel’s interrogation of Salah at Petah Tikva violates the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilians during Times of War, which prohibits the transfer of protected civilians to the territory of the occupying power. Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilians during Times of War, which prohibits the transfer of protected civilians to the territory of the occupying power.
- The government must do more than express concern, but should also take serious measures to end these violations. Representatives of your government should attend Salah’s hearings beginning on 6 November, and suspend agreements with Israeli institutions involved in the ongoing imprisonment and oppression of Palestinians.
