At the court hearing held on December 1 at Ofar detentino facility, the Israeli military court decided to postpone its decision on Salah Khawaja's case to a final hearing on December 11. The court hearing has seen significant presence of consular and international observers. It is the moment to intensify our pressure on Israel to uphold the rights of human rights defenders and due process in its trials. Please keep contacting your governments to intervene with Israel.
Salah Khawaja is in Israeli jails since the night of October 26 when Israeli military forces have arrested him from his home in Ramallah. Until November 17 Salah has been subjected to almost non stop interrogation, including psuchological and physical ill-treatment. Since then interrogation have stopped, yet Salah is still in Israeli jails and the military judges are dragging out any decision on his case.
In the meanwhile international pressure has mounted. Consular representatives from the European Union, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, representatives from an international NGO, journalists and family members of Salah have been observing the hearing. Please contact your governments to insist that:
- their consular representatives will be present at thehearing on December 1
- they raise the case of Salah Khawaja and demand protection of the rights of human rights defenders by Israel
- do not cooperate in any way with Israeli institutions involved in the Israeli regime of repression of human rights defenders.
For a model letter you can click here.
Salah Al Khawaja, 45 years old, has dedicated his life to the defence of Palestinian human rights and empowering local communities. Al Khawaja is part of the Stop the Wall coordination committee, secretariat member of the Palestinian Boycott, divestment and Sanction Committee (BNC) and one of the leaders of the Palestinian National Initiative (Mubadara). He is widely respected for his work, has addressed numerous national and international civil society conferences and has as well met the diplomatic community in Palestine in many occasions.