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Mohammed al-Halabi is a Palestinian aid worker, husband, father and prisoner of conscience. Following a deeply flawed legal process and charges that remain unsubstantiated, on 30 August 2022 Mohammed was sentenced to 12 years in prison - after having spent the last 6 years in detention.

Back in 2005, Mohammed started working for the charity World Vision. In 2014, he was promoted to manage the charity’s operations in the Gaza Strip. It was there that he was convicted of diverting millions of dollars in aid - much donated by the Australian Government - to Palestinian armed groups.

Israeli authorities interrogated Mohammed without legal representation. He has been allegedly tortured, tried in secret hearings, and convicted on secret evidence that heavily relied on a coerced statement that neither Mohammed nor his lawyer were allowed to access. 

Both World Vision and the Department of Foreign Affairs have both conducted external, comprehensive audits of Mohammed’s work. Neither of them found evidence that any funds were diverted.

Seven years on from Mohammed al-Halabi’s arrest, Israeli authorities have failed to present any credible evidence that would justify his imprisonment.

Mohammed’s appeal hearing was supposed to take place on 17 May 2023, at Israel’s High Court. It was postponed after Israeli authorities refused to share essential information including a summary of evidence and arguments, ahead of the hearing. 

This failure to share crucial pre-trial documents ahead of the hearing is a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice, and prolong Mohammed’s ordeal. It is part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to crush Palestinian civil society and independent aid organisations, working in the occupied Gaza Strip.

Mohammed is appealing his conviction. His trial will begin soon, and we need to show the Israeli authorities that there are thousands of people calling for his immediate release. Please sign the petition now. 

Sign the Petition

  Our Petition
 
 

Minister of Justice
Yariv Lenin
Ministry of Justice, 29 Salah Al-Din St
Jerusalem, 91010, Israel

Dear Minister Levin,

I am writing to you about Mohammed al-Halabi, a civil engineer and a humanitarian worker from Gaza City, who is currently serving a 12-year sentence in Ramon Prison, southern Israel, after a flawed process on charges of financing “terrorism” that remain unsubstantiated and appear to be an attempt to delegitimize and intimidate the humanitarian sector and its workers. He filed an appeal against his conviction before the Israeli High Court.

Amnesty International considers Mohammed to be a prisoner of conscience, targeted for his humanitarian work, as part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to crush Palestinian civil society and independent aid organisations working in the occupied Gaza Strip.

I call on you to immediately and unconditionally quash the wrongful conviction of Mohammed al-Halabi, drop the fabricated charges against him, discount all statements obtained under torture, and ensure his prompt release unless he is given a re-trial in proceedings that meet international standards for fair trials. 

I also call on you to ensure that Mohammed al-Halabi’s complaint of torture and other ill-treatment, filed to the Ministry of Justice in January 2018, be urgently investigated and those found responsible brought to justice in fair trials.

Finally, his defence must be granted with unhindered access to all hearing protocols, defence statements,
casefiles and so-called “secret” evidence.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]