Mohannad Karajah’s cyber crime charges postponed indefinitely
On 11 November 2021, the Public Prosecutor of Ramallah ruled to indefinitely postpone the charges against human rights defender and lawyer Mohannad Karajah. It remains unknown whether the case will be moved to court or if it will be archived.
Human rights defender and lawyer Mohannad Karajah is due to appear in the Public Prosecution in Ramallah on 10 November 2021. The human rights defender was informed by the Public Prosecution in Ramallah of this decision on 8 November 2021.
On 4 October, human rights defender and lawyer Mohannad Karajah was threatened with arrest. The human rights defender was previously arrested on 4 July 2021 for advocating for defendants who were arrested for taking part in protests following Nizar Banat’s death.
On 4 July 2021, human rights defender Mohannad Karajah was arbitrarily detained by the Palestinian police on the premises of the Ramallah Courts. The human rights defender was informed by police that he is facing the charges of “denouncing the Palestinian Authority”, “illegal demonstration”, and “inciting hatred within the communities”. The detention of Mohannad Karajah is part of a wider crackdown, which Palestinian human rights defenders have been facing since the killing of activist Nizar Bannat on 24 June 2021.
Mohannad Kar
ajah is a Palestinian human rights defender and attorney representing Lawyers for Justice, a Palestinian non-governmental, human rights organisation that works to support Palestinian activists and political prisoners held by the Palestinian Authority through legal aid. Lawyers for justice also works on documenting human rights violations which the Palestinians are subjected to by the Palestinian Authority.
On 11 November 2021, the Public Prosecutor of Ramallah ruled to indefinitely postpone the charges against human rights defender and lawyer Mohannad Karajah. It remains unknown whether the case will be moved to court or if it will be archived.
The human rights defender appeared before the Public Prosecutor on 8 and 10 November 2021 related to 2 charges based on Palestinian cybercrime law. The first complaint was issued against the human rights defender by the Palestinian General Intelligence (PGI) relating to publications of Lawyers for Justice over the extrajudicial arrest of a political activist and union worker. The second complaint was filed by the Palestinian Preventive Security (PPS) relating to a post on the human right defender’s personal social media page over the PPS’ legal measures in one of the cases.
The human rights defender still has an ongoing case based on the charges of “taking part in an illegal assembly”, “incitement of hatred within the communities” and for “denouncing the Palestinian Authority” levied against him on 5 July 2021 for his active role in Lawyers for Justice.
Human rights defender and lawyer Mohannad Karajah is due to appear in the Public Prosecution in Ramallah on 10 November 2021. The human rights defender was informed by the Public Prosecution in Ramallah of this decision on 8 November 2021. His court appearance relates to the charges of “taking part in an illegal assembly”, “incitement of hatred within the communities” and for “denouncing the Palestinian Authority” levied against him on 5 July 2021 for his active role in Lawyers for Justice.
On 4 October, human rights defender and lawyer Mohannad Karajah was threatened with arrest. The human rights defender was previously arrested on 4 July 2021 for advocating for defendants who were arrested for taking part in protests following Nizar Banat’s death. Mohannad Karajah was alleged to have “taken part in an illegal assembly” for attending the protests to monitor human rights violations. As a result, he was accused of “incitement of sectarian prejudices”, a charge often used by the Public Prosecution against human rights defenders to criminalise their human rights work.
On 4 July 2021, human rights defender Mohannad Karajah was arbitrarily detained by the Palestinian police on the premises of the Ramallah Courts. The human rights defender was informed by police that he is facing the charges of “denouncing the Palestinian Authority”, “illegal demonstration”, and “inciting hatred within the communities”. The detention of Mohannad Karajah is part of a wider crackdown, which Palestinian human rights defenders have been facing since the killing of activist Nizar Bannat on 24 June 2021.
Mohannad Karajah is a Palestinian human rights defender and attorney representing Lawyers for Justice, a Palestinian non-governmental, human rights organisation that works to support Palestinian activists and political prisoners held by the Palestinian Authority through legal aid. Lawyers for justice also works on documenting human rights violations which the Palestinians are subjected to by the Palestinian Authority.
On 4 July 2021, at approximately 9:00 am, Mohannad Karajah was arrested while he was at the Court of Ramallah, practising his work as a lawyer. Several Palestinian police officers approached the human rights defender, and arrested him. The human rights defender requested to see the arrest warrant, which the police claimed was issued, but that they didn’t have it with them. Mohannad Karajah handed over his phone and personal belongings to his colleague, which the police attempted to confiscate, however, the colleague refused to give the phone to them as they did not present an arrest warrant for the human rights defender. Later on the same day, the Public Prosecution denied issuing an arrest warrant against Mohannad Karajah. The human rights defender reported to Front Line Defenders that he was taken to the intelligence office for interrogation, but he refused to be interrogated without the presence of a representative from the Palestinian Bar Association, as it is illegal to interrogate a lawyer without the presence of a representative from the Bar Association. His detention lasted for approximately for four hours, during which he was not allowed to contact the Bar Association or his family. Before his release, he was forced to sign a document, where he committed to attend an interrogation in front of the Public Prosecution the next day.
The human rights defender is facing the charges of “denouncing the Palestinian Authority”, “illegal demonstration”, and “inciting hatred within the communities”, under the Cyber Crime Law No (10) of 2018 and Jordanian Penal Code No (16) of 1960. Mohannad Karajah did not attend the interrogation scheduled for 5 July 2021, as the Bar Association was not informed of this by the authorities. The human rights defender reported than he could be arrested anytime now.
On 4 July 2021, after Mohannad Karajah was detained, several lawyers and activists demonstrated outside the Court of Ramallah against the arbitrary detention of the human rights defender. Human rights defenders Jihad Abdo and Ezz El Din Zaaloul were detained during the peaceful demonstration, and are also facing the charges of “denouncing the Palestinian Authority”, “illegal demonstration”, and “inciting hatred within the communities”. On 5 July 2021, woman human rights defender and lawyer Diala Abu Aiash was arrested during a peaceful demonstration in front of the police station in Al-Bierh. The woman human rights defender reported that she was subjected to sexual harassment and verbal abuse by police officers in the Al-Bierh police station. She was released after a few hours of her arrest.
This is a part of a wider crackdown on Palestinian human rights defenders, who are requesting accountability for the death of activist Nizar Bannat, which the official autopsy report showed that police violence was the main cause of his death. Several demonstrations have taken place, and others are still ongoing in the West bank. Palestinians are protesting against the killing of Nizar Bannat, and the corruption inside the Palestinian Authority institutions. Hundreds of Palestinian peaceful protesters have reportedly been arbitrarily detained, physically abused and subjected to sexual harassment during the peaceful demonstrations.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned regarding the charges against human rights defenders Mohannad Karajah, Jihad Abdo, and Ezz El Din Zaaloul. It is further deeply concerned regarding the arrest and reported sexual harassment and verbal abuse of woman human rights defender Diala Abu Aiash. Front Line Defenders believes that they are solely being targeted and facing charges as a result of their peaceful and legitimate human rights work.
