Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: Drop All Charges Against Ahmad Khalefa

[Tilly lavenas]

Dear friends

Please email this letter or in your own words about human rights defender Ahmad Khalefa, who was violently arrested on 19 October along with 10 other demonstrators, including four children. He 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.

Please send your letter before April 8 when his next hearing will be held before the Haifa Magistrate’s court. 

Thanks! Tilly & Guy

Adv. Amit Aisman
State Attorney
The Office of the State Attorney
Email: State-a...@justice.gov.il

Dear Amit Aisman,

I’m gravely concerned about the indictment, silencing and intimidation of Palestinian human rights lawyer, Ahmad Khalefa. He was violently arrested on October 19 during a peaceful demonstration against the Israeli military offensive in the occupied Gaza Strip.

Ahmad is a Palestinian citizen of Israel. Besides being a human right lawyer, he is a member of the Umm al-Fahm city council.

Ahmad was injured during the protest, denied medical treatment and transported directly to Megiddo Prison. He was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including beating; he also witnessed the severe torture of other prisoners.

Ahmad has been placed under house arrest but he continues to face extreme restrictions.

I urge you to drop all charges against Ahmad 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.

Please send a copy to the Israeli embassy in your country.

HE Michael Herzog 
Embassy of Israel
3514 International Dr. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
def-...@mod.gov.il 

HE Mrs Tzipora Hotovely
Embassy of Israel 
2 Palace Green
London W8 4QB   
https://embassies.gov.il/london/AboutTheEmbassy/Pages/contact-us.aspx  (online form)

Note: We had trouble tracking down embassy email addresses. Several bounced but the one to the Defense attache in Washington did not. However, when he starts receiving emails about this case, he may close it down. We did get a response from the government’s state attorney in Hebrew saying they were passing our message on.

For more information about Amnesty’s Urgent Action 25/24: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/7856/2024/en/