Switzerland expels pro-Palestine American journalist
Swiss authorities have expelled pro-Palestinian journalist Ali Abunimah following a three-day period of detention, according to his statement. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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Ali Abunimah was reportedly held in a solitary cell without being charged with any crime.
Swiss authorities have expelled Ali Abunimah, the executive director of the Electronic Intifada media outlet, after detaining him for three days, as stated in a post by the Palestinian-American journalist on X on Monday.
Abunimah was arrested in Switzerland on Saturday, just hours before he was set to speak at an event in Zurich.
“We do not want an Islamist Jew-hater who calls for violence in Switzerland,” said Mario Fehr, head of the Swiss Security Department, in an interview with Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Authorities were weighing “immigration law measures” against the 53-year-old.
Upon arriving in Istanbul on Monday, Abunimah shared details of his ordeal in a lengthy statement. He described his arrest by plainclothes officers on Saturday afternoon and noted that he spent three days in a solitary cell, “cut off from communication with the outside world” and “not even permitted to contact my family.”
“During a police interview on Saturday, in the presence of my lawyer, they accused me of ‘offending against Swiss law’ without ever telling me what crime I had committed in Switzerland or listing any charges,” Abunimah explained, adding that he was unaware of any charges against him.
He mentioned that the following day, he was interrogated by “Swiss defense ministry intelligence agents” without his lawyer present. “I refused to talk to them without my lawyer and told them to take me back to my cell,” he recounted, noting that he declined food and requested only water during his detention.
“The police gave me my phone back only at the gate of the plane, so I’m only now seeing the extent of the overwhelming support and solidarity from all over the world,” the journalist stated.
Abunimah’s arrest has sparked backlash from several United Nations representatives. Irene Khan, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, described the detention as “shocking news” and called for Abunimah’s release in a post on X on Sunday.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, echoed this sentiment, asserting, “The climate surrounding freedom of speech in Europe is becoming increasingly toxic, and we should all be concerned.”
Born in Washington, DC, to parents from the West Bank, Abunimah co-founded the Electronic Intifada outlet in 2001. The site provides news on Middle Eastern events from a Palestinian perspective, and Abunimah is known for appearing in mainstream media as a strong advocate for the Palestinian cause.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
Swiss authorities have expelled Ali Abunimah, the executive director of the Electronic Intifada media outlet, after detaining him for three days, as stated in a post by the Palestinian-American journalist on X on Monday.
Abunimah was arrested in Switzerland on Saturday, just hours before he was set to speak at an event in Zurich.
“We do not want an Islamist Jew-hater who calls for violence in Switzerland,” said Mario Fehr, head of the Swiss Security Department, in an interview with Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Authorities were weighing “immigration law measures” against the 53-year-old.
Upon arriving in Istanbul on Monday, Abunimah shared details of his ordeal in a lengthy statement. He described his arrest by plainclothes officers on Saturday afternoon and noted that he spent three days in a solitary cell, “cut off from communication with the outside world” and “not even permitted to contact my family.”
“During a police interview on Saturday, in the presence of my lawyer, they accused me of ‘offending against Swiss law’ without ever telling me what crime I had committed in Switzerland or listing any charges,” Abunimah explained, adding that he was unaware of any charges against him.
He mentioned that the following day, he was interrogated by “Swiss defense ministry intelligence agents” without his lawyer present. “I refused to talk to them without my lawyer and told them to take me back to my cell,” he recounted, noting that he declined food and requested only water during his detention.
“The police gave me my phone back only at the gate of the plane, so I’m only now seeing the extent of the overwhelming support and solidarity from all over the world,” the journalist stated.
Abunimah’s arrest has sparked backlash from several United Nations representatives. Irene Khan, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, described the detention as “shocking news” and called for Abunimah’s release in a post on X on Sunday.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, echoed this sentiment, asserting, “The climate surrounding freedom of speech in Europe is becoming increasingly toxic, and we should all be concerned.”
Born in Washington, DC, to parents from the West Bank, Abunimah co-founded the Electronic Intifada outlet in 2001. The site provides news on Middle Eastern events from a Palestinian perspective, and Abunimah is known for appearing in mainstream media as a strong advocate for the Palestinian cause.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
