Amnesty International on Friday welcomed Israel’s release of Palestinian humanitarian “aid worker and prisoner of conscience,” Mohammad al-Halabi.
Amnesty referred to Mohammad al-Halabi’s imprisonment as a “flagrant miscarriage of justice,” and demanded the release of all Palestinian hostages in Gaza and of those “arbitrarily” held in Israel’s prisons.
Senior Director Erika Guevara Rosas said that Israel authorities targeted Mohammad al-Halabi precisely because of his humanitarian work, unjustly detained him, deprived him of all due process rights, and wrongfully convicted him. Guevara Rosas added that Mohammed al-Halabi spent nine years in detention due to multiple trial postponements where he was starved and tortured by Israeli officials. She also mentioned that the trial primarily relied on a prisoner informant’s statement and thus his wrongful conviction must be independently investigated, quashed, and that all officials must be brought to justice.
Speaking to Amnesty, Mohammad al-Halabi recounted his experience inside the Nafha detention center in Southern Israel. He stated that Israel authorities tortured him, frequently denied him access to his lawyer, and deprived him of any contact with his family. On the rare occasion he was allowed a visit from his lawyer, he was able to gather brief updates concerning his family’s well being.
Mohammad al-Halabi told Amnesty that he plans to resume his humanitarian work:
The need for humanitarian relief, the type of work I used to do before my arrest, is greater than ever. In previous wars, we used to divide damaged buildings into fully and partially destroyed, but when I went back to Jabalia refugee camp, [in North Gaza governorate] I found out that the category ‘partially destroyed’ is virtually nonexistent. Almost every building is flattened.
Mohammad al-Halabi’s release was part of a deal between Israel and Hamas officials following the ceasefire that took effect on January 19. To date, the International Red Cross reports that 583 Palestinian detainees have been released from Israel’s detention centers while many more families still await the release and return of loved ones.
Israel officials arrested and detained Mohammad al-Halabi in 2016 based on allegations that he embezzled $50 million in material support to Hamas. Israel’s Beersheba District Court then convicted and sentenced him to 12 years in prison where he awaited a fair trial for nine years, during which he maintained innocence. He was released on February 1. Human rights groups, including Amnesty and the UN, have cited multiple concerns over the years regarding Mohammad al-Halabi’s denial of due process rights and treatment in detention centers.
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