Detention of Hasan Safadi
Hasan Safadi was released from administrative detention on 7 December 2017.
Hasan Safadi is a Palestinian journalist and human rights defender working as a media and communications officer at Addameer - Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Addameer is a Palestinian non-governmental, civil institution that works to support Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. The organisation provides free legal aid to prisoners, as well as documenting and carrying out research on human rights violations in Palestine. It also engages in advocacy work, training and awareness raising. Hasan Safadi has also contributed to numerous publications about the situation of human rights in Palestine, including Assafir, a newspaper published in Lebanon.
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- 13 December 2016 : Administrative detention of human rights defender Hasan Safadi extended for additional six months
- 28 October 2016 : Hasan Safadi Sentenced to Three Months
- 4 July 2016 : Detention order against human rights defender Hasan Safadi confirmed
- 24 June 2016 : Upcoming court hearing against human rights defender Hasan Safadi
- 9 June 2016 : Unlawful detention of human rights defender Hasan Safadi
On 8 December 2016, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court announced that human rights defender Mr. Hasan Safadi would be held in administrative detention for an additional six month period. Hasan Safadi was due to be released on 10 December 2016 from the Negev Desert (Ktziot) prison – where he is currently being held. Hasan Safadi has been in detention since 1 May 2016.
Hasan Safadi is a Palestinian journalist and human rights defender working as a media and communications officer at Addameer- Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Addameer is a Palestinian non-governmental organisation that works to support Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. The organisation provides free legal aid to prisoners, as well as documenting and carrying out research on human rights violations in Palestine. It also engages in advocacy work, training and awareness raising. Hasan Safadi has also contributed to numerous publications about the situation of human rights in Palestine, including Assafir, a newspaper published in Lebanon.
On 8 December 2016, two days prior to Hasan Safadi’s anticipated release on 10 December the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court extended his administrative detention for six additional months. The administrative order against the human rights defender can be appealed. However, according to Addameer, the vast majority of these appeals are rejected. The human rights association stated that under existing administrative detention procedures, Palestinian detainees have no effective means by which to challenge administrative detention.
On 27 October 2016, Hasan Safadi was sentenced to three months and one day imprisonment for visiting Lebanon, a country that is considered an enemy State under Israeli law. He had been placed in administrative detention on 1 May 2016 upon returning from an Arab youth conference in Tunisia.
Administrative detention has been widely employed by Israeli authorities against human rights defenders as it allows for their detention without charges or trial and may be renewed indefinitely. According to Addameer, as of October 2016, over 720 Palestinians are held under administrative detention orders, including three members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Front Line Defenders reiterates its concern about the unlawful and arbitrary detention of Hasan Safadi, as it believes the actions against him to be motivated by his legitimate and peaceful human rights activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
On 27 October, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court sentenced human rights defender Mr Hasan Safadi to three months and one day imprisonment on the charge of visiting the ‘enemy’ state of Lebanon in 2015. He had travelled to Lebanon to represent his organisation at a conference on prison conditions in the region. Hasan Safadi is currently being detained in the Negev Desert (Ktziot) prison and is expected to be released on 10 December 2016.
Download the Urgent Appeal (PDF)
The Nationality Law of 1952 states that Israeli citizens may not travel to Lebanon without first obtaining a permit from the Israeli Interior Ministry. However, Hasan Safadi is not an Israeli citizen – he is a resident of occupied East Jerusalem. Furthermore, many Palestinians with the same residency status as the human rights defender often travel to Lebanon without being later detained.
The human rights defender has been in administrative detention since 1 May 2016 when he was arrested by Israeli occupation forces upon returning from an Arab youth conference in Tunisia. At a hearing on 10 June 2016 in the Jerusalem Magistrates Court, a judge charged the human rights defender with visiting an "enemy" State and ordered the release of Hasan Safadi on a bail of NIS 2,500 (US$ 650). The human rights defender was due to be released after his family paid bail. However, Hasan Safadi was not released, and was instead issued an order for a six-months administrative detention signed by Israeli Defence Minister, Avigdor Lieberman. On 28 June 2016, the Jerusalem Magistrates Court confirmed the detention order. Following the detention order, Hasan Safadi was transferred to, and is still currently being detained in the Negev Desert (Ktziot) prison – outside of occupied Palestinian territory, in violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilians during Times of War, which prohibits the transfer of protected civilians to the territory of the occupying power.
Front Line Defenders is extremely concerned about the arbitrary detention of human rights defender Hasan Safadi and condemns the recent sentence against him as it believes it to be in retaliation to his legitimate and peaceful human rights activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Front Line Defenders urges Israeli authorities to:
1. Immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Hasan Safadi and cease any further judicial harassment against him;
2. Uphold the UN Human Rights Committee recommendation that Israel “end the practice of administrative detention and the use of secret evidence in administrative detention proceedings, and ensure that individuals subject to administrative detention orders are either promptly charged with a criminal offence, or released.”
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities, including participating in human rights conferences abroad, without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
On 28 June 2016, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court confirmed the administrative detention order of six months against human rights defender Mr Hasan Safadi. He is accused of affiliation with an illegal organisation and visiting an enemy state, and he is currently being held at Ktziot prison in the Negev, southern Israel.
Hasan Safadi is a Palestinian journalist and human rights defender working as a media and communications officer at Addameer - Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Addameer is a Palestinian non-governmental organisation that works to support Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. The organisation provides free legal aid to prisoners, as well as documenting and carrying out research on human rights violations in Palestine. It also engages in advocacy work, training and awareness raising. Hasan Safadi has also contributed to numerous publications about the situation of human rights in Palestine, including Assafir, a newspaper published in Lebanon.
Hasan Safadi was arrested on 1 May 2016 by Israeli Defence Forces while crossing al-Karameh bridge between Palestine and Jordan. He was returning to the West Bank after attending a conference on Arab Youth in Tunis in late April. The human rights defender was transferred to Al Moskobiyyeh Interrogation Center in Jerusalem.
Hasan Safadi was brought before a judge on 7 June, who decided to extend the detention period by four days, until 10 June, pending investigation. Under Israeli law, persons may be lawfully detained for a period of no longer than 48 hours.
On 10 June 2016, Hasan Safadi again appeared before the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court which ordered his release on bail after obtaining third-party guarantees. However shortly thereafter, on the same day, the Israeli Defence Ministry ordered an administrative detention of six months against him.
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the administrative detention order again Hasan Safadi and calls on the Israeli authorities to respect the court's decision and release him on bail, as it believes the actions against him to be motivated by his legitimate and peaceful human rights activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
On 28 June 2016, human rights defender Hasan Safadi will appear before the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court for a confirmation hearing of an administrative detention order of six months issued by the Ministry of Defence. He is accused of affiliation with an illegal organisation and visiting an enemy state. He is detained at the so-called Russian compound interrogation center in Jerusalem since his arrest on 1 May 2016, and has suffered sleep deprivation and long abusive interrogation sessions.
Hasan Safadi is a Palestinian journalist and human rights defender working as a media and communications officer at Addameer - Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Addameer is a Palestinian non-governmental organisation that works to support Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. The organisation provides free legal aid to prisoners, as well as documenting and carrying out research on human rights violations in Palestine. It also engages in advocacy work, training and awareness raising. Hasan Safadi has also contributed to numerous publications about the situation of human rights in Palestine, including Assafir, a newspaper published in Lebanon.
Hasan Safadi was arrested on 1 May 2016 by Israeli Defence Forces while crossing al-Karameh bridge between Palestine and Jordan. He was returning to the West Bank after attending a conference on Arab Youth in Tunis in late April. The human rights defender was transferred to Al Moskobiyyeh Interrogation Center in Jerusalem.
Safadi was brought before a judge on 7 June who decided to extend the detention period by four days, until 10 June, pending investigation. Under Israeli law, persons may be lawfully detained for a period of no longer than 48 hours.
On 10 June 2016, Hasan Safadi again appeared before the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court which ordered his release on bail after obtaining third-party guarantees. However shortly thereafter, on the same day, the Israeli Defence Ministry ordered an administrative detention of six months against him.
Administrative detention has been largely used by Israeli authorities against human rights defenders. It allows their detention without charges or trial and may be renewed indefinitely. According to Addameer, 715 Palestinians are held under administrative detention orders, including three members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, as of May 2016.
Front Line Defenders reiterates its concern about the unlawful and arbitrary detention of Hasan Safadi, as it believes the actions against him to be motivated by his legitimate and peaceful human rights activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
On 7 June 2016, human rights defender Mr Hasan Safadi appeared before the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court for an interrogation session which was postponed until 10 June 2016. The human rights defender was arrested on 1 May 2016, by Israeli occupation forces while returning from an Arab Youth conference in Tunisia. He is currently detained at the so-called Russian compound interrogation centre in Jerusalem pending investigation.
On 7 June 2016, an interrogation session was scheduled for Hasan Safadi, in which the judge chose to extend the detention period for four days until 10 June 2016, pending investigation. Under Israeli law, persons may be lawfully detained for a period of no longer than 48 hours. The human rights defender has been in detention for one month without being informed of the charges held against him.
Hasan Safadi was arrested on 1 May 2016 by Israeli occupation forces while crossing al-Karameh bridge between Palestine and Jordan as he was returning to the West Bank, after attending a conference in Tunis in late April on Arab Youth. The human rights defender was later transferred to Al Moskobiyyeh Interrogation Center in Jerusalem. A session was held on 2 May 2016 which was then postponed until 8 May 2016.
Front Line Defenders is extremely concerned about the unlawful and arbitrary detention of Hasan Safadi, as it believes the actions against him to be motivated by his legitimate and peaceful human rights activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Israel:
1. Immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Hasan Safadi and cease any further harassment against him;
2. Respect the maximum legal detention period of 48 hours and refrain from holding detainees for any longer than this period;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities, including through the exercise of their right to free assembly, without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
