The Electronic Intifada’s executive director Ali Abunimah was deported by Switzerland on Monday after spending two nights in jail.

Abunimah described his experience in a statement he made upon arrival to Istanbul airport late Monday. He said that he was “cut off from communication with the outside world” and “not even permitted to contact my family.”

He said that police accused him of “offending against Swiss law” but was not presented with any charges. Abunimah added that he was questioned “by Swiss defense ministry intelligence agents without the presence of my lawyer, and they again refused to allow me to contact her or my family.”

Abunimah refused food and accepted only water during his detention until he was informed he would be going home.

“This ordeal lasted three days but that taste of prison was more than enough to leave me in even greater awe of the Palestinian heroes who endure months and years in the prisons of the genocidal oppressor,” he said.

“More than ever I know that the debt we owe them is one we can never repay and all of them must be free and they must remain our focus.”

Abunimah said he was unaware of the global outpouring of outrage and solidarity after his arrest while he was in detention.

“I’m deeply grateful to each and every person who stood up for me,” he added.

Violently arrested by plainclothes police

Abunimah was detained ahead of a speaking event in Zurich on Saturday.

He arrived in Switzerland the previous day for a series of events at the invitation of local organizers. When he arrived at the airport in Zurich on Friday, Abunimah was questioned by police for an hour before being allowed to enter the country.

Eyewitnesses said three plainclothes police officers violently arrested Abunimah on Saturday and forced him into an unmarked vehicle without disclosing where he was being taken.

Abunimah’s arrest appears to be part of a growing backlash from Western governments against expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Last year, several activists and journalists in Britain were arrested, raided or charged using “counter-terror” powers.

They included Asa Winstanley, an associate editor with The Electronic Intifada, whose home was raided and his computers and phones seized. Winstanley has not been charged with any crime and the raid was condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Britain’s National Union of Journalists.

Switzerland’s arrest of Abunimah has been met with worldwide condemnation. A petition demanding his release launched on Saturday had been signed by more than 15,000 people at the time of writing.

“Dangerous development”

Two United Nations human rights experts have condemned the detention of Abunimah by Swiss authorities.

Irene Khan, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, called it “shocking news” and called on Switzerland “to urgently investigate and release” Abunimah.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, called for a “prompt investigation into this matter.” She said that “the climate surrounding freedom of speech in Europe is becoming increasingly toxic, and we should all be concerned.”

Amnesty International’s European office said that it was following Abunimah’s case.

“The global crackdown on those who are critical of Israel’s violations of Palestinians’ human rights is alarming and must be immediately stopped,” Amnesty added.

Euro-Med Monitor, a Geneva-based human rights group, condemned Abunimah’s arrest. They said it was a “dangerous development that reflects a growing trend in Western governments to censor free speech and target journalists and activists who document the suffering of victims and stand up for Palestinian rights.”

This story was updated after initial publication to include Ali Abunimah’s statement.

Tags

• Ali Abunimah
• censorship
• Switzerland

• Facebook
• Twitter

• Donate Now