The Free Mustapha Committee issued the following press release on 19 September, the two-month anniversary of the detention of Belgian-Palestinian artist and metalworker Mustapha Awad. Samidoun joins the Committee in reiterating its demand for the immediate, unconditional release of Mustapha Awad and for action on the part of the Belgian government to defend its citizen subjected to arbitrary detention, torture and political imprisonment. To sign on to the call to action, visit the campaign form. We urge all to attend the protest next Wednesday in Brussels to demand Mustapha’s freedom!
Press release, Wednesday, 19 September
Today marks two months since our dear friend Mustapha Awad, a Belgian citizen of Palestinian origin, was arbitrarily detained by the Israeli authorities.
Mustapha is an artist and co-founder of the Raj’een Dabkeh Group, a human rights defender, a metalworker and a resident of Aalst. This summer, he decided to visit Palestine, the land of his grandparents.
His arbitrary arrest and detention is very disturbing. Mustapha has been subjected to inhuman treatment, amounting to torture, while under interrogation. During these two months of detention, Mustapha has been denied even the opportunity to call his family. On October 2, he will appear for the third time before an Israeli court.
Friends of Mustapha, fellow members of his dance troupe and representatives of organizations defending Palestinian rights have come together to form the Free Mustapha Committee.
This committee has collected 2,668 signatures in one month for a petition calling for Mustapha’s release. 177 organizations have signed this petition, including 84 Belgian organizations (see list below).
More than 300 people participated in a photo campaign, including prominent figures such as:: Alain Platel, founder of Ballets C de la B; Anya Topolski, founder of EAJS, Een Andere Joodse Stem (Another Jewish Voice); Robert Vertenueil, President of the FGTB-ABVV; Fatiha Dahmani, union secretary of LBC-NVK; Anne Morelli, retired professor at the Free University of Brussels and Belgian historian; Eyal Sivan, Israeli filmmaker and writer; Josy Dubié, former journalist and senator; Dominique Surleau, General Secretary of Présence et Action Culturelles (PAC) …
The signatories of the petition call on Belgium to assume its responsibilities and protect its citizens.
The Free Mustafa Committee praises the work of the administration and the consul, who met Mustapha several times. The Committee expects that Minister Reynders must address Prime Minister Netanyahu rapidly and that Mustapha, who has been detained for 62 days, must be released as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the Free Mustapha Committee is calling for a demonstration in front of the Israeli Embassy, Avenue de l’Observatoire 40, 1180 Uccle, on Wednesday, 26 September, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm.
The Free Mustapha Committee
Belgian and International Endorsing Organizations: (visit the campaign form to add your group today)
- ACV-CSC Brussel-halle-vilvoorde internationaal verantwoordelijke
- Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS)
- AFPS 63
- AFPS Nord-Pas de Calais
- AFPS Paris-Sud
- Al Arte
- Al-Awda, Palestine Right to Return Coalition – NY
- American Muslims for Palestine – NY
- Amitié Sans Frontières, Vriendschap Zonder Grenzen
- Anakbayan EU
- Antwerp for Palestine
- Article 1 Collective
- Artistes contre le mur
- Asbl Aljabal
- Asociacion Biladi
- Association Belgo-Palestinienne
- Association Charente Palestine Solidarite
- Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine (AURDIP)
- Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), India
- Association Marocaine des Droits Humains
- Bacbi: Belgian Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
- BADIL
- BDS Berlin
- BDS ULB
- Be Pa
- Black4Palestine
- BRussells Tribunal
- Bruxelles Panthères
- Canada Palestine Association-Vancouver
- Casa del Mundo Aalst
- Centre Culturel Arabe en Pays de Liège
- Cercle des Étudiants Arabo-Européens de l’ULB
- Change asbl
- Christian Peacemaker Teams
- Climaxi
- Comité BDS Bruxelles
- Comité de Vigilance pour la Démocratie en Tunisie
- Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient
- CPJPO, Luxembourg
- Comité Unité
- Comite Verviers Palestine
- Communauté Palestinienne en Belgique
- Communist Party of Belgium
- Communist Party (Sweden)
- Coup Pour Coup 31
- CSC Charleroi-Sambre & Meuse
- Cubanismo
- Dar al Janub – Union for antiracism and peace policy
- Diensten en Onderzoek Centrum Palestina (docP)
- ECCP – European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine
- ECOLO J
- Een Andere Joodse Stem / Another Jewish Voice
- Eglise Protestante Baptise La Fraternité
- Entraide et Fraternité/Vivre Ensemble
- EuroPalestine
- Familles de prisonniers pour la justice (Belgique)
- FGTB
- FGTB Métal Charleroi
- FGTB Charleroi Centrale Générale
- FGTB Wallonie
- Filipino Refugees in the Netherlands (FREN)
- Freedom Archives
- Free Palestine Movement
- French Friends of the Freedom Theatre in Jenin
- Front Uni des Immigrations et des quartiers populaires (FUIQP)
- Gaffi asbl
- GAPP (Gents ActiePlatform Palestina)
- GVHV / MPLP
- Greek Front of Resistance and Solidarity with Palestine “Ghassan Kanafani”
- Groupe Non-Violent LOUIS LECOIN
- GUPS Aix-Marseille
- Hand in Hand
- Hannah vzw
- Honduraswerkgroep
- Independent Jewish Voices – Canada
- Inminds Human Rights Group
- Intal
- International Action Center
- IJAN, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
- International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS)
- Internationalt forum – Middle East group
- Investig’Action
- Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
- ISM-Northern California
- Jacksonville Community Action Committee
- Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network
- Jews for Palestinian Right of Return
- Jeunes Organisés et Combatifs – JOC
- Justice Sans Frontières JSF Belgium
- KARAPATAN
- Käthe Kollwitz Vredesloop
- Labor for Palestine
- LBC-NVK
- Le Space
- Leuvense Actiegroep Palestina
- Ligue des Droits de l’Homme de Liege
- Links Ecologisch Forum/Forum Gauche Ecologie
- London Palestine Action
- Manchester Boycott Israel Group
- Maramya ASBL
- Mouvement Chrétien pour la Paix
- MOC de Charleroi-Thuin
- Mouvement Citoyen Palestine
- Mouvement ouvrier chrétien (MOC)
- NAIS/SAF/Vrouwen tegen fascism-racism
- National Democratic Front of the Philippines
- National Lawyers Guild Palestine Subcommittee
- Nederlands Palestina Komitee
- NPPF Belgium
- NY4Palestine
- NZ Palestine Solidarity Network (New Zealand)
- OCML VP
- Paix Juste au Proche-Orient Ittre
- Palestina Solidariteit
- Palestina Solidariteit Herent / 11.11.11-Herent
- Palestina Solidariteit Wetteren
- Palestine Solidarity Committee – Austin, Texas
- Palestine Democratic Forum
- Palestinian Rights committee, Albany New York USA
- Parallelo Palestina
- Partido Communista de Espana
- Partij van de Arbeid (PVDA) / Parti du Travail de Belgique (PTB)
- Party for Socialism and Liberation
- Peoples Video Network
- Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee
- Plate-forme Charleroi-Palestine
- Plateforme Palestine Watermael-Boitsfort
- Porte-parole du Collectif Judéo Arabe et Citoyen pour la Palestine
- Presence et Action Culturelles
- Project South: Institute for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide
- PVDA Antwerpen
- Raad voor Internationale Samenwerking Aalst
- Raj’een Dabkeh Group
- Refuchances
- Rise Up
- Rojava Solidarity
- SAIA York (Students Against Israeli Apartheid, York University)
- Samidoun Göteborg
- Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
- Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign
- Secours Rouge Canada
- Secours Rouge de Belgique
- Solidaris – Union Nationale des Mutualités Socialistes
- Solidaris Namur
- Solidarité Maroc05
- Solidarity4All
- Studenten voor Rechtvaardigheid in Palestina – Amsterdam
- Students for Justice in Palestine Houston
- Students for Justice in Palestine, Temple University
- Students for Justice in Palestine UCSB
- Students for Justice in Palestine VUB
- Students for Justice in Palestine, University of South Carolina
- SUD Solidaires
- The Rights Forum
- Unadikum
- Union générale des femmes palestiniennes en Belgique et au Luxembourg
- UJFP – Union juive française pour la paix
- Union of Palestinian Communities and Institutions – Europe
- Union syndicale étudiante (USE)
- UPB (Ugnayang Pilipino Belgium)
- UPJB | Union des Progressistes Juifs de Belgique
- US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
- Via Velo Palestina
- Victoria Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
- Victory to the Intifada (Manchester)
- Vie Féminine
- Viva Salud (Belgian NGO, formerly G3W/M3M)
- Vrede vzw
- Vriendschap صداقة
- Vrouwen in het Zwart, Vrouwen voor Vrede
- Vrouwen in het Zwart, Maastricht
- V-SB (Flemish Socialist Movement)
- vzw Victoria Deluxe
- WALPURGIS
- Werkgroep Vluchtelingen Gent vzw
- Werkgroep Vrede en Ontwikkeling Watermaal-Bosvoorde
- WESPAC Foundation
- Women in Black (Vienna)
