The police have just released the Chairman of the High Follow-Up Committee, Mr. Mohammad Barakeh, along with other Arab leaders.

Mr. Barakeh was interrogated at a police station in the city of Beisan after being arrested this morning in Nazareth while on his way to participate in a demonstration against the war on Gaza in the city.

The Mizan Center for Human Rights (Nazareth) condemns the recent wave of arrests and the arbitrary, unjustified crackdown on the leadership of our Arab community, especially the Chairman of the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel.

Mizan affirms that this campaign of arrests of Arab leaders is a clear message of intimidation and threats to our community, aiming to prevent any solidarity with our Palestinian people in Gaza, even if it is just a silent protest.

In a related context, the police also detained several political leaders for questioning, including: the Chairman of the Democratic National Assembly, Sami Abu Shehadeh; former Member of Knesset Haneen Zoabi; Deputy Secretary-General of the Assembly, Yusuf Tatour; and Mahmoud Muwasi.

Yusuf Tatour and Mahmoud Muwasi were released, while Sami Abu Shehadeh and Haneen Zoabi are still under interrogation.

Accompanying Mr. Mohammad Barakeh during his interrogation at the Beisan police station were Mizan’s Director, Attorney Omar Khamaisi, Attorney Marwan Masharqi, Dr. Yusuf Jabareen, along with members of Mr. Barakeh’s family.

Mizan Center for Human Rights – Nazareth
Thursday, November 9, 2023