Urgent Action: DROP ALL CHARGES AGAINST AHMAD KHALEFA (IOPT 25.24)

Ahmad Khalefa, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, is a lawyer, human rights defender, community organizer, and newly elected city council member. On October 19, 2023, Israeli police violently arrested him along with ten other demonstrators from a peaceful protest in his native town of Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel. He was subsequently charged with “incitement to terrorism” and “identification with a terrorist group,” for chanting slogans against the war in Gaza. After nearly four months in prison, Ahmad Khalefa was put under house arrest under strict terms, including electronic tagging. Israeli authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Ahmad Khalefa from house arrest, allow him to resume his work without intimidation, and drop the baseless charges against him.

take action:

• Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
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contact information:

sample letter:

Dear Amit Aisman,

I am gravely concerned over the indictment, silencing, and intimidation of Palestinian human rights lawyer, Ahmad Khalefa, under the cover of Israel’s discriminatory counterterrorism law. A Palestinian citizen of Israel, Ahmad Khalefa is a prominent human rights defender, community organizer, and an elected member of the Umm al-Fahm city council. On October 19, 2023, Ahmad Khalefa was violently arrested, along with ten other protesters, including four children, in Umm al-Fahm, during a peaceful demonstration against the Israeli military offensive in the occupied Gaza Strip. Despite injuries sustained from his arrest, Ahmad Khalefa was denied medical treatment and transported directly to Megiddo Prison.  

On November 6, 2023, Ahmad Khalefa was charged with “incitement to terrorism” and “identifying with a terrorist organization” solely for leading a peaceful protest and for chanting peaceful, nonviolent slogans against the Israeli occupation. During the nearly four months he spent in prison, Ahmad Khalefa was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. On February 8, 2024, Ahmad Khalefa was put under house arrest, but he continues to face extreme restrictions, including electronic monitoring, being banned from using the internet, and spending the house arrest outside his hometown of Umm al-Fahm, where his children study.

I therefore urge you to act swiftly to drop all charges against Ahmad Khalefa and to immediately and unconditionally release him from house arrest and lift all associated restrictions of his rights. He must be allowed to resume his vital work and activism without reprisals or intimidation.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

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