French-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri once again seized by Israeli occupation forces: Freedom now!

8 March 2022

In the early morning hours of 7 March 2022, Israeli occupation forces stormed the Jerusalem home of French-Palestinian lawyer, human rights defender and former political prisoner Salah Hamouri, abducting him once again. Hamouri, who had published an article in English on his case in Jacobin magazine only one day before, is currently fighting against the attempt of the Israeli occupation to forcibly expel him from his home city of Jerusalem.

Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, where Hamouri works as a lawyer, noted:

Over the years, Salah has been relentlessly targeted by Israeli occupation authorities, subjected to arbitrary arrests, administrative detention without charge or trial, exorbitant fines, travel bans against him and his family, the deportation of his wife and French national Elsa Lefort, and, most recently, the illegal revocation of his permanent residency and forced deportation from Jerusalem on 18 October 2021. Moreover, on 8 November 2021, a Front Line Defenders investigation conducted in collaboration with Citizen Lab and Amnesty International’s Security Lab found that Salah Hammouri had been one of six Palestinian HRDs hacked by Israeli NSO Group’s notorious Pegasus spyware.

Salah Hamouri is a French-Palestinian lawyer and a former Palestinian political prisoner whose case was widely known throughout France as a symbol of injustice and false allegations until his release in 2011 in the Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner exchange, only a few months before his sentence was to end. He has spoken throughout France and internationally at events like the World Social Forum on Palestinian prisoners and the struggle for freedom.

The Israeli occupation uses the forced revocation of residency for Palestinians from East Jerusalem as a means to displace Palestinians and forcibly create a “Jewish majority” in the occupied city as well as a means to silence Palestinian activists and organizers. As noted by Al-Haq, “Revocation of permanent residency status is the most direct tool used to forcibly transfer Palestinians from East Jerusalem. This policy which has been used by Israel more than 14,500 times between 1967 and 2015, and is illegal under international law.”

In Hamouri’s Jacobin article, he speaks about his current case resisting expulsion from Jerusalem:

Everything Israel’s apartheid regime has done is aimed at silencing me and encouraging me to give up and leave the country, as they do with any Palestinian who refuses to bow their head and submit to ethnic cleansing. Israeli authorities are creating a bespoke plan of harassment for each politically active person, arresting and harassing them, and where this doesn’t work, stripping them of their IDs or health insurance and targeting their family and businesses. They target those that speak out in order to weaken our collective resistance and to more easily expel us.

My own story demonstrates that the Israeli regime is absolutely ruthless, operating with a calculated cruelty that knows no limits. Our family’s enforced separation is intended to inflict suffering, to deny my children a father and the experiences and joys of growing up in their homeland with the love of my extended family. Interactions with my children are limited to stolen moments over video call, attempts to forge and maintain a connection despite the distance.

This isn’t what I want for my children. But it is better they know that I fought for justice rather than passively accepting ethnic cleansing, better that I do all I can to remain steadfast in our land than acquiesce to Israel’s harassment. I am continuing with my struggle because I want all Palestinians to live with freedom and dignity, and I know this will not come without a fight, without sacrifice on the part of those willing to take a stand.

Last year, Palestinians rose in the thousands to defend Jerusalem, sparking an uprising that spread throughout all Palestinians communities in rejection of Israeli colonization. A new generation repeated its commitment to carry forward the struggle for justice, for liberation and for the rights of Palestinian refugees living for decades in exile. As our people have not given up, neither can I, and neither can the millions around the world who support Palestine, and whose commitment to our cause is more important now than ever before.

During his previous imprisonment, Hamouri’s case won wide support among French popular movements and even elected officials, with over 1,000 signing a call for his release. Nevertheless, French official diplomacy continued to drag its feet rather than defend its citizen, inaugurating the “France-Israel season” while Israel imprisoned a French citizen without charge or trial.

Now, France continues to imprison Georges Abdallah for over 37 years; French prime minister Jean Castex recently declared Jerusalem “the eternal capital of the Jewish people” despite the government’s claimed commitment to support Salah Hamouri’s right to Jerusalem; and, urgently, the government has announced it plans to dissolve and ban two organizations advocating for justice in Palestine, including the Collectif Palestine Vaincra.

The French state will not act to defend their citizen Salah Hamouri without significant public pressure. We are relaying the action call of the Committee to support Salah Hamouri:

If you are in France or a French citizen, contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and your Members of Parliament to demand action.

* Consulat Général de France à Jérusalem
cg-informations.jerusalem-fslt@diplomatie.gouv.fr

* France Diplomatie
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/mentions-legales/nous-ecrire/
samer.melki@diplomatie.gouv.fr

* Élysée – Présidence de la République française
http://www.elysee.fr/ecrire-au-president-de-la-republique/
patrick.durel@diplomatie.gouv.fr

If you are outside France and an international supporter, contact the addresses above or the French consulate or embassy in your area. https://www.embassypages.com/france

The following letter is suggested:

Dear President of the Republic of France,
or Dear Minister of Foreign Affairs,
or Dear Consul,

On March 7, 2022, our compatriot [or, French citizen, for non-French writers], the Franco-Palestinian lawyer, human rights defender, Salah Hamouri, was arrested at dawn, at his home in East Jerusalem by the Israeli occupation army.

The military authorities gave no reason for this arrest.

The arrest of our fellow citizen is unacceptable and unbearable. The French authorities must not allow such infamy to pass. This situation must end immediately. France must demand the release of our fellow citizen who is once again subjected to Israeli arbitrary detention and attacks.

I ask you to work on behalf of France for the immediate release of Salah Hamouri.

Al Ard (Doc) Film Festival in Sardinia features Palestine films, including “Fedayin: Georges Abdallah’s Fight”

8 March 2022

The Al Ard (Doc) Film Festival opens in Cagliari, Sardinia, on Wednesday, 9 March and continues through Saturday, 12 March. The 18th edition of the festival features a wide variety of films, talks and an art exhibition by Palestinian artist Malak Mattar from Gaza, Palestine. Among the selection of films being screened is “Fedayin: Georges Abdallah’s Fight,” the film by Collectif Vacarme(s) Films that tells the story of the Lebanese Arab Communist struggler for Palestine imprisoned in France for over 37 years.

The festival is organized annually by the Associazione Amicizia Sardegna-Palestina, which organizes for justice and liberation in Palestine throughout Sardinia. “Fedayin” will screen at 5:30 pm on Saturday, 12 March.

Learn more about the festival at: https://www.alardfilmfestival.com/

Full program of the 18th edition of the festival (2022)

Wednesday, March 9 | Wednesday, 9th March
16:00 | Inauguration of the exhibition of Malak Mattar, artist from the Gaza Strip

Video: Resisting Anti-Palestinian Repression – Fighting for Liberation

6 March 2022

This webinar was organized by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network on Sunday, 6 March, highlighting organizers challenging anti-Palestinian repression internationally.

In late February, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin announced his intention to dissolve, or ban, two collectives organizing for justice in Palestine in France, including the Collectif Palestine Vaincra, a member of the Samidoun Network. Palestinian writer Khaled Barakat was expelled from Germany for four years and subjected to a political ban for his work on Palestine, and his case goes to court on 11 March. In Britain, Palestine Action is campaigning to #ShutElbitDown and defending direct action for Palestine — after one Israeli arms factory has already shut down after ongoing pressure.

The webinar features speakers from Collectif Palestine Vaincra, the collective working tirelessly for Palestine and now challenging a dissolution order in France, Khaled Barakat on the attack on Palestinian rights in Germany, and from Palestine Action on the campaign to #ShutElbitDown and defend direct action for justice.

Speakers also discuss how we keep the focus on struggling for the liberation of Palestine and how these struggles highlight the role of imperialist powers in maintaining Zionist colonialism, occupation and apartheid throughout Palestine.

Hundreds rally in Toulouse against the dissolution of the Collectif Palestine Vaincra

6 March 2022

In a joint rally called for by many local organizations, over 200 people mobilized at the Jean Jaurès metro station in Toulouse, France, to denounce the French interior minister’s threat to dissolve the Collectif Palestine Vaincra and another pro-Palestine association, the Comite Action Palestine. Collectif Palestine Vaincra is a member of the Samidoun network and a leading organization in the Palestine solidarity movement as well as in the campaign to free Georges Abdallah, jailed for over 37 years in France and Europe’s longest-held political prisoner.

Behind the banner, “No to the dissolution of the Collectif Palestine Vaincra,” the hundreds of demonstrators denounced the authoritarian attacks of the French government against the Palestine solidarity movement, which has now escalated to threats of dissolution and criminalization for organizing for justice in Palestine. In their speech at the rally, the Collectif Palestine Vaincra highlighted the political motivations for the announcement of the French government that it intends to suppress the “thought crimes” of the Collectif.

Representatives of the Campagne BDS France Toulouse and the Association France Palestine Solidarité spoke, denouncing this policy of criminalizing solidarity with Palestine, as well as the recent statements of French prime minister Jean Castex — made the same day as Interior Minister Darmanin’s announcement that he planned to dissolve the Collectif — that Jerusalem is the “eternal capital of the Jewish people.” This statement, widely denounced by Palestinian political forces across the spectrum, indicates alignment with U.S. and Israeli policies on settler colonialism and the ongoing forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Jerusalem.

A representative of the Fédération syndicale unitaire, the main labor union in the education sector in France, delivered a joint statement on behalf of three trade unions, UD CGT 31, Solidaires 31 and FSU 31, denouncing the attack on the Collectif Palestine Vaincra. Representatives of the Parti de Gauche, France Insoumise, the NPA, Révolution Permanente and the Mouvement de la Paix also spoke to affirm their clear and unreserved support for the Collectif, as did Odile Maurin, city councillor for the opposition parties in Toulouse. Many people and organizations came together to express their solidarity with the Collectif and its commitment to anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggle.

It is critical to continue the mobilization to fight back against this repressive measure which aims to silence the supporters of justice in Palestine. Over 7,000 people have already signed the online petition in support of the Collectif. Please share and circulate it widely:
https://change.org/solidaritecollectifpalestinevaincra

Our Guide Towards Homeland: Bassel Al-Araj

6 March 2022

From Birth until Martyrdom

Bassel Al-Araj was born on January 27, 1984, in the village of Al-Walaja, overlooking the Palestinian coast, where earth meets the heavens with a “sea that is too big to be besieged” as he once chanted in an angry demonstration against the blockade on Gaza.

Bassel grew up curious and constantly studying and reading. Despite him graduating as a pharmacist, he only practiced for a year. Afterwards, he devoted himself to studying Palestinian history, especially the history of the resistance, researching and publishing the detailed experiences of revolutionaries to be practically benefited from.

Bassel’s search can be condensed into the question of resistance. Fascinated by the moments of transformation and decisive resolution of the struggler, his search lasted twenty years, during which he engaged in a continuous struggle in all its forms. From the demonstration, sit-in, community work and education, to confronting arrest and torture with hunger strikes, and concluding with being pursued, engaging in armed struggle, and ultimately ascending to martyrdom.

Tours in the History of the Resistance

Bassel organized famous field trips in occupied Palestine under the title “Tours in the History of the Resistance”, which accompanied the “History of Resistance in Palestine” course that he volunteered to present at the “People’s University” – Suleiman Al-Halabi Circle.

Bassel spoke in these tours with certainty and historical context about Zionist settlements and their relationship with Palestinian resistance, citing the example of the Jenin Triangle, the “Triangle of Fire” as he called it, and how to this day it is devoid of settlements. With compelling analysis, he attributes this victory to the continuous resistance that the “Triangle of Fire” has engaged in.

Resistance is a Continuous Endeavour

On his path of struggle, Bassel faced the unimaginable, both dead and alive; he was brutally arrested by the disgraced Palestinian Authority, which not only tortured and exposed him to the enemy but went on to assault and defame his family and friends. This saga of treason and obscenity carried out by the Palestinian Authority concluded with setting a historical precedent by trying a martyr in court over his martyrdom.

“Resistance is a continuous endeavour. Every price you pay in the resistance, if you don’t reap the results in your lifetime, you will afterwards” Bassel said, addressing all our people. He concluded his will with “you, yourself, should search”. This imperative sentence does not refer to an ambiguous ideal as much as it inspires action and continuation.

Bassel concluded his struggle by clashing with the Zionist enemy forces on 06.03.2017. His body embroidered with 22 bullets and shrapnel, he was buried in a grave that he prearranged, on a hill overlooking the same scene as the first, where the earth meets the sky with a sea that is too big to be besieged.

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Video: Mohammed Khatib of Samidoun on “Dictators and Fascist Regimes”

5 March 2022

Mohammed Khatib, Europe coordinator of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, joined the International League of Peoples’ Struggle for an international online event on “Dictators and Fascist Regimes” on Saturday, 5 March 2022.

“Fascism is on the rise. To fight this, we must link all the peoples’ struggles against fascism all over the world.”

Speakers:

Attorney Neri Colmenares, Philippines (Member of the International Bar Association, Bureau Member, International Association of Democratic Lawyers)
Shibai Minai, India (Social and political activist)
Pascual Duarte, Argentina (President, ILPS Argentina, member of national board of CUBA-MTR)
Mohammed Khatib, Palestine (Europe coordinator of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, member of the Follow-Up Committee of the Alternative Palestinian Revolutionary Path Movement)

Why is French president Emmanuel Macron asking to ban the Collectif Palestine Vaincra?

3 March 2022

The Collectif Palestine Vaincra learned through media reports about the desire of French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin to dissolve two pro-Palestinian organizations — including our Collectif — “at the request of Emmanuel Macron,” the president of France.

This announcement took place a few hours before the annual dinner of the CRIF (Representative Council of Jewish Organizations in France, which is known for its lobbying and advocacy for Zionism and the Israeli state), during which Prime Minister Jean Castex, reading Emmanuel Macron’s speech, declared that “Jerusalem [was] the eternal capital of the Jewish people,” thereby calling into question the historical position of French diplomacy and international law by aligning itself with the U.S. and Israeli position.

While the Collectif Palestine Vaincra has been organizing activities for 3 years (rallies, demonstrations, information stands and tables, etc.) — all legal actions that are registered and authorized by the prefecture of Haute-Garonne — the French government has declared its will to proceed to an administrative dissolution in order to try to silence us. This overtly political decision comes after a long series of attacks and pressures against the Collectif from groups close to the Israeli extreme right.

In the document that notifies the collective of the administrative dissolution procedure, the vast majority of cited reasons indicate that we are being targeted for “thought-crimes” on Palestinian rights. We note their reasons and our clear positions below.

Anti-colonialism

In the political tradition of the anti-colonial movement in France, our collective has, since its foundation, defended the perspective of a “free, multicultural and democratic Palestine from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River” and support for the Palestinian resistance, “in particular the progressive and revolutionary resistance that fights for national and social liberation.” This is a position that has existed in the French-speaking political field for more than 50 years and is held by many progressive, revolutionary and anti-imperialist organizations.

On the first page of the document, the Ministry of the Interior states:

“While it is obviously open to any person, natural or legal, to discuss or challenge the policy of territorial settlement of the State of Israel, this challenge cannot exceed the limits of freedom of expression. However, it appears that, under the guise of defending the Palestinian people, the Collectif Palestine Vaincra (CPV) […] incites hatred, discrimination and violence against people because of their Jewish origin, supports the actions of organizations recognized as terrorists and incites them.”

This is an unprecedented attack on the solidarity movement with Palestine through particularly abject comparisons that equate criticism of a state and an ideology with a form of anti-Semitism. These allegations are part of a policy that has now become a watchword of the Macron era: the equation of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, about which the Collectif Palestine Vaincra has written on several occasions. This is all the more revolting when our collective has, since its foundation, considered the anti-racist struggle as an integral part of its struggle and organizing and has regularly participated in initiatives against Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in particular and against racism more generally.

The boycott of Israel

The second element cited in the government’s document of “allegations” is the call for a boycott of Israel. The document states that:

“these boycott campaigns are opportunities to display anti-Zionism and hatred of Israel through the use of virulent terms. Accused of practicing apartheid and stealing the land of the Palestinians, Israel is thus called a “racist and colonial state”.

And the Ministry of the Interior cited several Facebook comments that were allegedly not moderated by us. Obviously, we moderate our Facebook page followed by more than 32,000 people by deleting hundreds of comments and blocking dozens of accounts, but we recognize that it is possible that some have escaped our vigilance.

Some of the comments quoted are in no way problematic and simply a call for a boycott. This accusation is a pretext which aims simply to criminalize the call to boycott Israeli products. This attack is all the more outrageous since it comes after the European Court of Human Rights condemned France in June 2020 for having criminalized activists who called for a boycott of Israeli products, violating their right to free expression.

Support for Palestinian prisoners and Georges Abdallah

Another extremely concerning element of the document of the Ministry of the Interior are the accusations made against us because of our involvement in campaigns in support of the release of Palestinian political prisoners, just like many other organizations in France and around the world. The document reports:

“Similarly, the CPV supports organizations considered to be terrorists and individuals implicated or convicted of acts related to terrorism and endorses the violent methods used by those who present themselves as “defenders of the Palestinian cause” […] For example, between December 2021 and January 2022, the CPV relayed several times on its Facebook page a call for mobilization in support of Ahmad Sa’adat, PFLP secretary general […] . In the same way, the CPV regularly campaigns for the release of Georges Ibrahim ABDALLAH, imprisoned in France since 1984 and honorary member of this collective, even though he was convicted of complicity in the voluntary murder of an American military attaché and an Israeli civil servant assassinated in 1982 in Paris.”

This is an extremely serious attack, even strictly from a legal perspective, which should concern all human rights defenders. Since when is supporting the release of detainees punishable by dissolution? This desire to criminalize support for Georges Abdallah is scandalous when – need we remind you – Georges Abdallah is himself the target of a relentless attack by the French state since he has been held in prison for more than 37 years and has been eligible for release since 1999!

Support for the Palestinian resistance

The Collectif Palestine Vaincra supports the Palestinian people’s right to resistance against the occupation, in all forms considered legitimate, including armed resistance. The UN recognizes the legitimacy of Palestinian resistance (including armed resistance) in its resolution 37/43 adopted in 1982. This resolution affirms in particular: “the legitimacy of the peoples’ struggle for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial domination, by all available means, including armed struggle”. Resolution 37/43 specifies in its article 21: “Israel’s expansionist activities in the Middle East and its continued bombardment of Palestinian civilians constitute a serious obstacle to the achievement of self-determination and independence for the Palestinian people.”

In contrast, the government tramples on these clear principles and invokes our support for Palestinian resistance as grounds for dissolution, stating:

“Third, the CPV’s support for various terrorist organizations goes hand in hand with a legitimization of terrorist methods that it strives to justify or minimize on the grounds that it is a necessary form of resistance.”

To illustrate its point, the document mentions examples of Facebook posts that inform about the history of the Palestinian resistance and prominent historical figures, and that are in no way incitement to commit “terrorist” acts.

This is a dangerous attack against the right to boycott, against the defense of Palestinian prisoners, and more generally against support for the Palestinian resistance against the occupation. The request for the dissolution of the Collective Palestine Vaincra demanded by the government is strictly political and aims to criminalize once again the solidarity movement with Palestine. This government offensive targets all anti-colonialist and anti-racist organizations in France and beyond. More than ever, we must stand up together!

5 March, Raleigh NC: “Fedayin” Film Screening & Discussion

1 March 2022

Saturday, 5 March
6 pm
202 N. Tarboro Street
Raleigh, North Carolina
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1378134382625185/

Join us for a public screening of the new film, “Fedayin”! This film tells the story of Georges Abdallah imprisoned since 1984 in France for his involvement in the struggle for the liberation of Palestine and Lebanon from Israeli, zionist colonization. From the Palestinian refugee camps that forged his conscience, to the international mobilization for his release, we will discover the man who has become one of the longest-held political prisoners in Europe. Following the film screening, we will be joined by the International Coordinator of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, Charlotte Kates, to answer any questions and facilitate a brief discussion regarding the role of political prisoners in the fight against imperialism from the US to Palestine. Bring your friends and family for a fun and education-filled night!

Masks are required.

What: Free Film Screening of “Fedayin” followed by a discussion with Charlotte Kates, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, International Coordinator
Where: 202 N. Tarboro St, Raleigh, NC
When: Saturday, March 5 at 6:00 pm
Who:
Muslims for Social Justice
ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition,
PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation) Carolinas,
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

5 March, Toulouse: Rally — No to the dissolution of Collectif Palestine Vaincra!

1 March 2022

Saturday, 5 March
11 am
Metro Jean Jaurès – Toulouse, France
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/450304706785527/

Gérald Darmanin, French Interior Minister, has just announced his desire to dissolve the Collectif Palestine Vaincra and another pro-Palestinian organization at the request of Emmanuel Macron. This scandalous decision is the result of a relentless campaign of defamation led by the Israeli far right and its agents in France against the Collectif, while we work to build solidarity with the Palestinian people against colonialism, racism and apartheid.

This announcement is a new step in the authoritarian escalation of the French government which has already dissolved, or threatened to dissolve, several Muslim, anti-racist or radical left media organizations. We will not be intimidated. Solidarity with Palestine is not only a right but a duty. We are already calling for a broad response from political organizations, trade unions, associations and collectives in support of the Collectif Palestine Vaincra and against the criminalization of the solidarity movement with Palestine.

GATHERING
Saturday March 5, 2022 from 11 a.m.
Metro Jean Jaurès – Toulouse

With the support of: AFA Tolosa, ATTAC Toulouse, Couserans-Palestine Association, BRIC, Toulouse BDS Campaign, CGT 31, Center of the Kurdish Democratic Community of Toulouse, CLRR 31, Collectif Palestine Vaincra, Truth and Justice Committee 31, CNT 31, FSU 31, Peace Movement 31, NPA 31, Permanent Revolution 31, Sud Education 31/65, Secours Rouge Toulouse, Solidaires 31, Survival Toulouse, Union of Students of Toulouse

Introducing the International People’s Tribunal on U.S. Imperialism: Sanctions, Blockades and Economic Coercive Measures — Webinar 18 March

1 March 2022

This document has also been translated into Spanish, French, Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin, and Korean.

INTRODUCING THE INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE’S TRIBUNAL ON U.S. IMPERIALISM: SANCTIONS, BLOCKADES & ECONOMIC COERCIVE MEASURES

TAKING LEGAL ACTION TO CHALLENGE U.S. ATROCITIES

Introductory Webinar March 18 — Register: https://bit.ly/launchtribunal

March 1, 2022 – Presently, the United States, with the support of the United Nations and European Union, has imposed sanctions and other economic coercive measures on over 30 percent of the global population, mostly located in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Sanctions are one of the key tools of U.S. imperialism, leading to mass starvation and suffering of peoples in the Global South, while opening up markets to U.S. and European corporations.

The International People’s Tribunal on U.S. Imperialism: Sanctions, Blockades & Economic Coercive Measures will challenge the economic atrocities committed by the United States through the use of the law, highlighting the unlawful, unjust, and colonial nature of economic coercive measures.

The Tribunal is co-sponsored by organizations located throughout the world, including the Committee of Anti-Imperialists in Solidarity with Iran, the Simón Bolívar Institute for Peace and Solidarity Among Peoples, National Lawyers Guild, the International Association for Democratic Lawyers, Al-Awda Palestinian Right to Return Coalition, Samidoun Palestinian Political Prisoner Solidarity Network, Black Alliance for Peace, ANSWER Coalition, People’s Forum, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, CodePink, Sanctions Kill, Frantz Fanon Foundation, Al Massar Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, Qiao Collective, and the Alliance for Global Justice.

In collaboration with international scholar activists and legal experts, the People’s Tribunal will host an introductory webinar to discuss the urgent need to take legal action against U.S. sanctions and economic coercive measures session on March 18 at 9:30am PST. To register for the event, please visit https://bit.ly/launchtribunal.

The webinar will feature:

Eva Nanopoulos, Senior Lecturer in Law at Queen Mary University in London,
Carlos Ron, President of the Simón Bolívar Institute for Peace and Solidarity Among Peoples and Venezuela’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for North America,
Vira Ameli, Interdisciplinary Researcher focused on Public Health in Iran and the Middle East,
Grasian Mkodzongi, Executive Director at Tropical Africa-Land and Natural Resources Research Institute in Zimbabwe,
Maria Lucrecia Hernández, Attorney and Director of ONG Sures in Venezuela,
Motee Abumusabeh, Political and Media Activist in Gaza, Palestine, and
Moderator: Helyeh Doutaghi, Doctoral Candidate in Law & Legal Studies at Carleton University in Canada

“The organizers of the Tribunal include lawyers, activists, and scholars who know that the law is inherently limited in its capacity to challenge all forms of violence and harm committed by the U.S. sanctions regime. In fact, the U.S. actively uses the law to perpetrate imperialism through multilateral and unilateral coercive measures. It is precisely for these reasons that the Tribunal is not only a legal tactic but also an organizing tool,” says Helyeh Doutaghi, chair of the Tribunal’s organizing committee.

According to Mohammed Khatib, Europe Coordinator of Samidoun, “Palestinians are facing a comprehensive siege, not only in Gaza, but throughout occupied Palestine and in exile and diaspora. This siege is perpetrated by the Israeli regime and the imperialist powers that support it. Legal and political action to hold the perpetrators of these crimes accountable is important to support the Palestinian people and our struggle for freedom, liberation, and return.”

The People’s Tribunal will last for six months, from January to June 2023, and will host expert witnesses, international legal jurists, and rapporteurs from thirteen countries currently targeted by US sanctions. Witnesses will cover fifteen themes, including Public Health (particularly in the context of COVID-19), Development and Women.

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From Birth until Martyrdom

Tours in the History of the Resistance

Resistance is a Continuous Endeavour

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