Woman human rights defender Shatha Odeh released after 11 months of imprisonment on condition of not continuing her human rights work
On 3 June 2022, the Israeli Prison Services (IPS) released woman human rights defender Shatha Odeh from prison after spending 11 months in Israeli prisons following her arrest on 7 July 2021. After finishing two-thirds of her sentence in Damon prison near Haifa, Israel, the Ofer Military Court approved an early release request by the woman human rights defender’s lawyer.
Court hearings that were scheduled for 17th and 20th January 2022 at Ofer Mlitary Court, for woman human rights defender Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh have been postponed. The reason for the postponements was neither given to the woman human rights defenders lawyers nor to her family but the family have learned from other sources that it was due to the fact that Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh has contracted COVID and is in isolation. The health condition of the woman human right defender remain unknown. She is currently detained in Damoun Female Prison in Haifa, with her next hearingdue to take place on 1 February.
Shatha Odeh Ab
u Fannouneh is a woman human rights defender and the Director of the Health Work Committee, an organisation working to deliver health services to Palestinians in remote areas of the West Bank. The health organisation focuses on many issues including women’s and children’s health.
On 3 June 2022, the Israeli Prison Services (IPS) released woman human rights defender Shatha Odeh from prison after spending 11 months in Israeli prisons following her arrest on 7 July 2021. After finishing two-thirds of her sentence in Damon prison near Haifa, Israel, the Ofer Military Court approved an early release request by the woman human rights defender’s lawyer. On 18 August 2022, as part of the ongoing flagrant campaign by the Israeli authorities against Palestinian civil society organisations, the Israeli security forces raided, confiscated property and closed the offices of seven Palestinian civil society organisations, including the Health Work Committees (HWC).
Shatha Odeh was convicted based on her human rights work for the Health Work Committee (HWC), which was designated as an unlawful organisation by the Israeli military commander on 22 January 2020. On 12 May 2022, the woman human rights defender Shatha Odeh was sentenced by Ofer military court to 16 months imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 Israeli Shekel (approximately €8,985).The woman human rights defender is not able to resume her human rights work on health issues or get back to her work with the Palestinian Health Work Committees (HWC).
This happens as the court decided to suspend another 12-month sentence for a period of 5 years from the day of her release on the condition that she would not continue her human rights work.The condition of preventing Shatha Odeh from continuing her human rights work was also faced by woman human rights defender Juana Ruiz Sánchez who used to work alongside Shatha Odeh for HWC. On 8 February 2022, Juana Ruiz Sánchez was released from prison on parole on the condition of ceasing her human rights work for a period of 5 years.
Court hearings that were scheduled for 17th and 20th January 2022 at Ofer Mlitary Court, for woman human rights defender Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh have been postponed. The reason for the postponements was neither given to the woman human rights defenders lawyers nor to her family but the family have learned from other sources that it was due to the fact that Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh has contracted COVID and is in isolation. The health condition of the woman human right defender remain unknown. She is currently detained in Damoun Female Prison in Haifa, with her next hearingdue to take place on 1 February.
Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh is a woman human rights defender and the Director of the Health Work Committee, an organisation working to deliver health services to Palestinians in remote areas of the West Bank. The health organisation focuses on many issues including women’s and children’s health.
Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh's family were not officially notified of the reason for the postponement of thehearings, but through sources they have learned that she has contracted COVID-19 and is currently in isolation. Over the past three months, Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh family were only able to contact her on the phone twice, respectively on 13 December 2021 and on 4 January 2022. They are not being kept informed of her health and well-being, which causes great concern to them as she is older and suffers from underlying health conditions, including hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, and irritable bowel syndrome. They have to rely on Facebook post from lawyers visiting the prison to hear about the general well being of the woman human rights defender. Israeli Prison have authorities denied Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh request for one of her medications and was only given access to it on 15th July 2021 after her lawyer presented a report explaining its importance. Since the start of her detention, Shatha Odeh Abu Fannounehhas lost about twenty kilos.
In the early hours of 7 July 2021, Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh was forcibly and arbitrarily removed from her house in Ramallah, Palestine, and has remained in detention since. On 26 July 2021, during the third hearing of Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh the military prosecution presented five charges against her including “holding a position in an unlawful association”, “presence in a public event on 14 May 2019”, “receiving and bringing funds illegally into the area”, “receiving funds and support fraudulently” and “the fraudulent use of documents”. The charges brought against the woman human rights defender are linked to an announcement by the Israeli military commander on 22 January 2020, in which he stated that the HWC was an “unlawful organisation”.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned regarding the heath of of Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh. and believes that the detention of the woman human rights defender is solely based on her peaceful and legitimate human rights work, and that the charges against her reflect both an escalating policy by Israeli authorities of criminalizing Palestinian human rights defenders and organisations on terrorism-related charges.
