On Monday, June 30, 2025, the Nazareth Magistrate’s Court convicted Sheikh Kamal Khatib, head of the Freedoms Committee affiliated with the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens, on charges of incitement to violence and incitement to terrorism. The charges stem from his arrest during the events of the May 2021 “Dignity Uprising,” based on allegations that he published posts and delivered speeches inciting violence. However, the court acquitted him of the charge of identifying with a terrorist organization.
At a press conference held following the court session, Attorney Hassan Jabareen, Director of Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, who is handling the case along with the Organization for Human Rights Meezaan, stated that the court convicted Sheikh Khatib based on three specific pieces of content: two Facebook posts and a sermon in which he criticized Israeli police actions against Arab citizens in Jaffa during the uprising. Jabareen emphasized that the court dismissed the central charge of identification with a terrorist organization, which had formed the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case.
Jabareen pointed out that during earlier proceedings, a district court judge had ruled that Sheikh Khatib’s statements regarding the events in Jaffa did not constitute a criminal offense. He noted that this ruling provides a solid basis for appealing the conviction handed down today.
He also affirmed that several expert witnesses for the defense had testified before the court that Sheikh Khatib’s statements and sermons did not amount to criminal offenses, which, in Jabareen’s view, further strengthens the defense’s position in the next stages of the legal process.
Regarding the next steps in the trial, Jabareen explained that the court will hold sentencing hearings to determine the penalty, after which an appeal will be filed with the district court to challenge the conviction.
Jabareen expressed relief at the dismissal of the charge of identifying with a terrorist organization, stressing that this development significantly reinforces the defense’s position—especially since the prosecution had built its entire case around that accusation.
For his part, Attorney Omar Khamaisi, Director of Meezaan, stated that the trial of Sheikh Kamal Khatib began as a politically motivated case, and that the conviction announced today confirms the continuation of this political persecution. Khamaisi argued that this is not merely a personal conviction but one targeting the political discourse of Palestinian citizens of Israel, criminalizing positions rooted in the people’s national principles and religious sanctities.
He added that the upcoming stage will include the court’s detailed explanation of the grounds for conviction, followed by deliberations before the district court.
In his remarks at the press conference, Sheikh Kamal Khatib thanked everyone who came to the court in solidarity, and expressed gratitude to the legal teams from Adalah and Meezaan for their consistent support since 2021. He also appreciated the support of the High Follow-Up Committee, its members, and supporters of the Islamic Movement, who have stood by him since the beginning of the trial four years ago.
Mohammad Barakeh, Chair of the High Follow-Up Committee, praised Sheikh Kamal, emphasizing that the positions he expressed during the trial—and for which he was convicted—represent the collective stance of the Palestinian people. “They are not prosecuting a person,” Barakeh said, “they are prosecuting our national discourse, and we stand behind every word Sheikh Kamal said.”
He continued: “From the outset, we declared this a baseless political persecution—because it targets a legitimate political discourse that expresses our people’s identity. The conviction does not change the fact that this is a politically driven trial.”
Also speaking at the press conference, Sheikh Raed Salah stated: “I recall a phrase I used repeatedly during my own trial: History will record that you are putting the Qur’an, the Sunnah, the Arabic language, and Palestinian folklore on trial. These elements have reappeared once again in the trial of Sheikh Kamal Khatib.”
He added: “We do not treat our national and religious principles as matters of convenience. We were born into them, we live by them, and we will die upholding them. This is the legacy we must pass on to our children and our people.”
