Amnesty International is calling on Israeli authorities to release Mohammed al-Halabi, a Palestinian aid worker who has been imprisoned in Israel for seven years. Al-Halabi is a humanitarian worker from Gaza who spent six years in detention pending trial before being convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2022. Amnesty International has condemned the conviction as deeply flawed, and claims that al-Halabi has been targeted for his humanitarian work.
Israeli authorities were due to hear al-Halabi’s appeal on May 17, 2023, but he had to request a postponement when his defence lawyer was denied access to crucial pre-trial documents essential for a fair trial. Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Heba Morayef, accused Israeli authorities of deliberately obstructing justice and prolonging al-Halabi’s “Kafkaesque nightmare.”
Catalogue of violations
Mohammed al-Halabi was the director of the Gaza office of World Vision, a US-based charity, before his arrest in 2016. Al-Halabi dedicated his life to supporting and empowering children and people with disabilities in Gaza, who are among those most affected by Israel’s illegal blockade on the region and recurrent military offensives.
Al-Halabi was convicted in 2022 of diverting millions of dollars to the Hamas administration, which Israel considers a terrorist group. Despite two independent investigations commissioned by World Vision and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, both of which found no evidence of diverted funds, Israeli authorities have failed to present credible evidence to justify al-Halabi’s imprisonment.
Al-Halabi was tried in secret hearings and convicted largely based on the testimony of a prisoner informant who had previously been found guilty of perjury, as well as so-called “secret evidence” which neither he nor his lawyer were allowed to access. Israeli authorities have also failed to investigate al-Halabi’s 2018 complaint of being subjected to torture and other ill-treatment while under interrogation by the Shabak.
Unconscionably cruel and unjust
Al-Halabi’s resilience in refusing numerous plea bargain offers that would have reduced his sentence in exchange for “confessing” to charges he denies has been commended by Amnesty International. However, the organization also condemned the prolonging of al-Halabi’s ordeal, which it deems “unconscionably cruel and unjust,” particularly as his wife and their five children continue to live in Gaza, where they are subjected to Israeli military assaults.
Amnesty International has called on Israeli authorities to unconditionally release Mohammed al-Halabi and quash his conviction. The organization has accused Israeli authorities of maintaining apartheid against Palestinians and maintaining efforts to crush Palestinian civil society.
Editorial and advice
The case of Mohammed al-Halabi highlights the ongoing human rights abuses perpetrated by Israeli authorities against Palestinians, particularly those involved in humanitarian work. The refusal to share essential pre-trial documents and the use of secret evidence in a trial that Amnesty International describes as deeply flawed are clear violations of due process and compromise the possibility of a fair trial.
It is imperative that Israeli authorities conduct a thorough and objective investigation into the allegations of torture and ill-treatment leveled against the Shabak and address the systemic issues underlying the crushing of Palestinian civil society.
To protect human rights and defend democracy, it is necessary to establish a system that is independent of political pressures and authorities. A fair and transparent justice system is essential for the legitimacy of any state to survive and thrive.
<< photo by Thirdman >>
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