LONDON: Lawyers for a Palestinian legal scholar arrested on April 17 have said his detention was “political” and could set a “precedent” for the treatment of academics and free speech in Israel.
Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a prominent feminist academic with roles at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Queen Mary, University of London, was arrested in March after appearing on a podcast in which she spoke about her work on state crimes, genocide, violence and Had discussed. Monitoring in the context of the war in Gaza.
He was strip-searched by police, interrogated and denied access to food, water and medicine for several hours and kept in a cold cell overnight before being bailed the next day. Many of his personal items, including posters and books, were also confiscated.
His lawyer and director of the human rights organization Adalah, Hassan Jabarin, said: “This is not just about a professor, this could be a (precedent) for any academic who goes against the consensus in times of war.”
Israeli police claimed he was being investigated on suspicion of inciting terrorism, violence and racism, but a magistrate ruled he posed no threat after he was arrested, leading to his release.
Israel has arrested hundreds of Palestinian civilians since hostilities began on October 7, many of them detained for criticizing Israel.
All arrests regarding freedom of expression issues must be signed off by Israel’s Attorney General, and Shalhoub-Kevorkian has been ordered to return over the weekend to face further questioning.
Jabreen said: “They could have asked him to come to the police station for two or three hours to discuss, to investigate.
“To arrest her as if she was a dangerous person shows that the main objective was to humiliate her.
“This was illegal, so the magistrate court accepted my plea that he should be released and the district court confirmed this.”
She added: “If they find him guilty, it could have a deep impact. It is very difficult to prosecute a person for academic work… but the political situation in Israel is beginning to really not be based on the rule of law.”
International academics have condemned Shalhoub-Kevorkian’s arrest and treatment, with over 100 colleagues at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem publishing a letter in support of him.
In addition, 250 academics from Queen Mary have signed a separate letter, stating: “Academic freedom (in Israel) is under sustained attack.”
In a letter from Hebrew University academics published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, his colleagues said: “Regardless of the content of Nadera’s words, their interpretation and the opinions they expressed, it is clear to everyone that this is a political arrest, The whole purpose of which is to silence and limit freedom of expression. Today it is Nadera who is standing on the bench, and tomorrow it will be every one of us.
The Hebrew University also issued a brief statement of support, despite the fact that in 2023 he was briefly suspended and asked to resign by the university’s rector because he called for a ceasefire in Gaza. and suggested that Israel may be guilty of genocide.
“We strongly object to many of the things that Professor Shalhoub-Kevorkian said. Yet, as a democratic country, there is no place for arresting a person for such comments, no matter how outraged they may be,” it said.