Statement Issued by “Lawyers for Justice”On the Continued Detention of Journalist and Activist Su’ad Al-Khawaaja Despite Four Judicial Release Orders
Lawyers for Justice is following with deep concern the continued detention of journalist and activist Su’ad Al-Khawaaja by the police in Ramallah, after she was summoned last Tuesday, despite the issuance of four separate judicial release orders and the payment of all required bail amounts. Her continued detention in defiance of these court decisions constitutes—based on our monitoring—a serious violation of personal liberty and a clear departure from the legal framework that guarantees rights and due process. The group views this ongoing detention without any legal basis as a troubling indication of an arbitrary misuse of authority, which necessitates immediate action by the Public Prosecutor to investigate the circumstances and reasons behind this detention, and to ensure that such practices— which violate Palestinian law and binding international standards—are not repeated. Accordingly, Lawyers for Justice issues an urgent call to the esteemed Public Prosecutor, as well as to local and international human rights organizations, to take swift action and exert pressure to uphold the rule of law and secure the immediate release of journalist Su’ad Al-Khawaaja. The group also stresses that the detained journalist is a mother of two children, a fact that exacerbates the humanitarian and social consequences of her continued detention. The group further reminds the authorities of their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly those related to the right to liberty and personal security, and the prohibition of arbitrary arrest or detention. End Lawyers for Justice17 November 2025
Statement Issued by Lawyers for JusticeRegarding the Arrest of Activist and Dentist Dr. Ghanem Rzaiqat
Lawyers for Justice expresses its deep concern over the arrest of Dr. Ghanem Rzaiqat, a dentist, former candidate in the Palestinian Dental Association elections, and a well-known activist for human rights and public freedoms in Palestine, by the Palestinian security services. The organization considers Dr. Rzaiqat’s arrest to be an arbitrary detention that violates the provisions of the Palestinian Basic Law and constitutes a clear infringement on citizens’ rights to freedom of opinion and expression, as well as their right to legitimate union and human rights activism. Lawyers for Justice strongly condemns this arrest and demands the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Rzaiqat, ensuring his physical and psychological safety, and enabling him to exercise his union and human rights work, including his right to a fair trial, the foremost guarantee of which is liberty. The organization also calls upon the Palestinian Dental Association, the Palestinian Medical Association, and all union and human rights bodies to assume their professional and moral responsibilities, to act promptly to secure his release, and to reject any practices that undermine the independence of union work. The continued policy of arbitrary detention against activists and union candidates threatens democratic practice, obstructs the conduct of free and transparent elections, and constitutes a clear violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the State of Palestine is a party. Lawyers for JusticeRamallah – Palestine10 November 2025
Letter from the Archie Thomas Sankara Club – Italy Dated 26 October 2025Regarding the Pursuit of Lawyers for Justice and Its Director, Advocate Mohannad Karajah
To: The Diplomatic Mission of the State of Palestine in ItalyAttn: Mr. Mohammed S. A. Salem, First SecretarySubject: Immediate Release of Advocate Mohannad Karajah Advocate Mohannad Karajah, from the organization Lawyers for Justice—which is twinned with our own—was detained in the West Bank upon his return from a trip abroad. Advocate Karajah is a human rights defender and a key initiator of the twinning partnership between the Bar Association of Messina (Italy) and the Palestinian Bar Association. He is a person committed to the rule of law and justice. We have been informed of a slander and defamation campaign targeting him, based on fabricated news, images, and texts generated using artificial intelligence. It is absolutely unacceptable that someone of such high ethical and professional standing be associated with such a false and abusive campaign. The security cooperation agreement between the occupying power and the Palestinian National Authority must not, under any circumstances, be used to criminalize those who embody the true opposite of authoritarianism—individuals who enjoy wide respect in Europe and in many Western countries, including the United States. We also remind you that Advocate Mohannad Karajah has been a guest on several occasions of European Union missions, as well as United Nations bodies and offices. Accordingly, the undersigned, Patrizia Maiorana, the legal representative of the Archie Thomas Sankara Club,calls for the immediate release of Advocate Mohannad Karajah,so that Palestine may demonstrate a real commitment to the rule of law and justice. We kindly request that you provide us urgently with updates on the progress of this case. Messina, 26 October 2025Signed:Patrizia MaioranaLegal RepresentativeArchie Thomas Sankara Club
His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas President of the State of Palestine Office of the President Al-Muqataa – Ramallah State of Palestine
info@president.ps Brussels, 29 October 2025 Subject: Arrest of Advocate Mohannad Karajah, Director of “Lawyers for Justice,” and the Ongoing Campaign of Incitement, Threats, and Fabricated Accusations Online Your Excellency, I have the honor to write to you on behalf of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), which represents the bars and legal societies of 46 European countries, comprising more than one million European lawyers. The CCBE places great importance on respect for human rights and the rule of law, and closely follows the situation of lawyers at risk around the world. The CCBE expresses its deep concern regarding the recent arrest of Advocate Mohannad Karajah, Director of “Lawyers for Justice,” by Palestinian security forces in Jericho Governorate upon his return from travel. This arrest occurred in the context of an unprecedented campaign of incitement, based on falsified and fabricated posts falsely attributed to him and to his organization, which are believed to be a reaction to his legal work and human-rights activities. According to the information received, fabricated statements and posts were widely circulated on social media calling for the arrest and prosecution of Advocate Karajah, despite public clarifications confirming that these materials were falsified. Reports indicate that two independent verification entities concluded that the circulated posts attributed to “Lawyers for Justice” and its director were digitally manipulated as part of an organized disinformation campaign. This campaign appears to involve multiple social-media accounts, including Telegram channels and Facebook pages, some of which are believed to be linked to political, media, or security actors, and which fueled calls to close the organization’s offices, revoke lawyers’ licenses, and label the group as “supporters of terrorism.” In this context, we have received information stating that Advocate Mohannad Karajah was arrested on 26 October and released after several hours of interrogation, but was informed the following day of a complaint filed against him before the Public Prosecution based on the same fabricated posts. These actions reportedly appear to be retaliatory measures linked to his ongoing human-rights work over more than fifteen years, amid an atmosphere of incitement that included death threats. We further understand that these acts have extended to include members of his family: his brother, Hassan Yasser Karajah, was summoned for questioning at the Preventive Security headquarters on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, to appear at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, 23 October. He was briefly detained and—according to reports—subjected to pressure aimed at compelling Advocate Karajah to submit to arrest or interrogation orders despite his prior clarifications. The CCBE is profoundly concerned that the pattern of harassment, defamation, and threats targeting “Lawyers for Justice” and Advocate Karajah appears designed to silence a legal-rights organization and intimidate its staff, thereby undermining the legal profession and the protection of fundamental rights. The CCBE wishes to draw your attention to the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (attached), particularly Principles 16, 17, and 18, which ensure that lawyers are able to perform their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment, or improper interference, as well as Principle 23 concerning freedom of expression and association. The CCBE also wishes to highlight the recent Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, and encourages its signature and ratification once open for accession. In light of the above, the CCBE urges the competent authorities to guarantee the safety and freedom of Advocate Mohannad Karajah, and to ensure that “Lawyers for Justice” and all lawyers are able to carry out their duties without fear of retaliation, obstruction, intimidation, or harassment—particularly as the reported campaign is believed to rely on fabricated and misleading content designed to undermine their legitimate legal and human-rights work. The CCBE also recalls that all lawyers must be able to perform their professional duties without fear of reprisal or intimidation, in order to safeguard the independence and integrity of the justice system and the rule of law. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration. Thierry WickersPresidentCouncil of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
Public Statement on the Circumstances of the Arrest and Prosecution of Lawyers for Justice and Its Director, Advocate Mohannad Karajah, Based on Fabricated Posts
Since 18 October 2025, Lawyers for Justice has been closely monitoring a deceptive campaign of incitement and defamation launched through fabricated and manipulated posts disseminated by individuals operating within what has become evidently a coordinated and funded effort targeting the organization and its director, Advocate Mohannad Karajah. Over the past two weeks, the campaign has escalated through the actions of virtual actors on social media, who were shown to be operating in coordination with individuals active across multiple geographic locations outside the West Bank and Gaza. These actors work within a unified network that launches synchronized waves of incitement designed to manufacture a false public perception. The organization notes that this coordinated virtual network engages in systematic and directed incitement, relying on the circulation and exchange of inflammatory content via WhatsApp at pre-determined times, without any verification of the authenticity of the material being circulated. During this period, the organization also monitored the identities of individuals and entities that amplified and promoted this content through media outlets in an attempt to legitimize it. This was not surprising to Lawyers for Justice, given that the organization has, throughout its years of legal and human-rights work, been subjected to similar campaigns seeking to incite hostility toward its work. Such campaigns reflect the difficult environment in which a human-rights organization operates, particularly in the face of narratives fueled by hatred and incitement to violence — narratives that have been reinforced by official statements that support and legitimize this harmful pattern rather than confronting it or holding its perpetrators accountable. In this context, the organization notes that on 26 October 2025, while Advocate Mohannad Karajah was returning to Palestine, he was detained for several hours in connection with the incitement campaign targeting him, after his passport was confiscated by Palestinian security forces. He was later released due to the absence of any legal grounds for his detention. Subsequently, on 27 October 2025, Advocate Karajah received — through the Palestinian Bar Association — a notice from the Public Prosecution requesting him to appear regarding a complaint filed by one of the individuals promoting and participating in the fabricated campaign. It must be emphasized that this type of case does not require a personal complaint to initiate proceedings, as the Public Prosecution has the authority to act on its own motion, even assuming the alleged facts were true. Advocate Karajah indeed appeared before the Public Prosecution in Ramallah on 27 October 2025 and briefed the Chief Prosecutor on the alleged facts, supported by findings issued by specialized social-media platforms that verify fabricated content and misinformation. However, the Chief Prosecutor rejected this and asked Advocate Karajah to “cooperate in resolving the issue” by handing over the password to his Facebook account — a request he refused, as it constitutes an unlawful intrusion into his privacy, which is protected by law. The investigation was postponed to Wednesday, 29 October 2025. Due to his refusal to “cooperate” by surrendering his private login credentials, a formal investigation was opened and a 48-hour detention order was issued to “complete the investigation,” despite the fact that the law provides legal tools through which the authenticity of posts can be examined without violating the privacy of Advocate Karajah as a defendant or infringing on his right to a fair trial. Accordingly, Lawyers for Justice affirms the following: Lawyers for JusticeIssued on 02 November 2025
Press Release on the Detainee Uday Tareq Ali Al-Saadi, on Hunger Strike in Preventive Security Custody
The group “Lawyers for Justice” expresses its deep concern over the continued detention of citizen Uday Tareq Al-Saadi (30 years old), who has been on a hunger strike for the third consecutive day in protest against his unlawful detention by the Preventive Security Service in Ramallah, and his deprivation of rights guaranteed under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights conventions. Al-Saadi was arrested without a clear indictment and without being brought before a fair court within the legally prescribed period, which constitutes a blatant violation of his right to liberty, to a fair trial, and to due process guarantees. His decision to go on hunger strike reflects his ongoing suffering and represents a peaceful protest against the arbitrariness and denial of his most basic legal and human rights. We firmly stress the decision of the Administrative Court issued on 17 September 2025, which ruled to release Al-Saadi, establishing that his detention had been unlawful since his arbitrary arrest on 19 February 2025. We warn of the deterioration of Al-Saadi’s health condition, and we hold the competent security and judicial authorities fully responsible for his life and his physical and psychological safety. We emphasize that the continuation of his detention without clear legal grounds constitutes an arbitrary practice that violates Palestinian law and international human rights standards. Lawyers for Justice calls for: We affirm that the protection of rights and freedoms is not subject to delay or justification, and that respect for human dignity, freedoms, and the rule of law must remain the foundation of the relationship between state institutions and their citizens. Lawyers for Justice24 September 2025
Statement Issued by Lawyers for Justice On the Detention and Subsequent Release of Community Activist Ramah Al-Bayaa over Freedom of Opinion and Expression
Lawyers for Justice is deeply concerned over the case of community activist Ramah Al-Bayaa (62 years old) from the town of Beitunia, who was arrested last Thursday evening from her home by the Palestinian police’s General Investigations Unit, without the presentation of an official arrest warrant, according to her testimony. Mrs. Al-Bayaa was interrogated over posts she had published on Facebook and was charged with defaming the Authority under the Cybercrime Law—an excessive and abusive use of this law against public freedoms and freedom of expression. In her testimony to our team, Mrs. Al-Bayaa stated that she was subjected to ill-treatment during interrogation and detention despite her difficult health condition and her suffering from chronic illnesses. She was later transferred to the Military Medical Services before being held for four days at the women’s detention facility in the Balouʿ area – Al-Bireh. She was brought before the Magistrate Court judge in Ramallah last Sunday, where the above-mentioned charge was formally filed against her, after which she was released on personal bail. We at Lawyers for Justice affirm that the right to freedom of opinion and expression is guaranteed under the Palestinian Basic Law and may not be restricted through the use of vague provisions in the Cybercrime Law. We categorically reject the ongoing practices of silencing voices and arbitrarily arresting activists based on their political positions or critical opinions. The group issues an urgent appeal to local and international human rights institutions, as well as to the UN Special Rapporteurs, to take immediate action to end the policy of persecution on the basis of opinion and to hold accountable all those involved in violations of fundamental human rights in Palestine. Lawyers for JusticeRamallah – PalestineDate: 18/09/2025
Ramallah Magistrate Court Acquits Activist Fakhri Jaradat
Lawyers for Justice have obtained an acquittal from the Ramallah Magistrate Court in favor of detainee, activist, and human rights defender Fakhri Jaradat, in the case where he was prosecuted on charges of “unlawful assembly” for participating in protests condemning the killing of political activist Nizar Banat. This case highlights the ongoing attempts by the Public Prosecution to criminalize peaceful assembly, despite it being a right guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the State of Palestine is a signatory and which is in effect. It is worth noting that the Israeli occupation authorities later arrested activist Fakhri Jaradat and placed him under administrative detention — without charge or trial. We reiterate that defending rights and freedoms is not a crime, and that peaceful assembly is a right that must not be confiscated or criminalized.
On the Conditions of Arrest of Dozens from Jenin and Its Villages During the “Homeland Protection” Security Campaign
Introduction: On December 14, 2024, the Palestinian security forces launched a campaign named “Homeland Protection” in the city of Jenin and its refugee camp. According to the official statement from the security agencies, the campaign aimed to regain control over the camp from what they described as “outlaws.” The campaign resulted in numerous arrests, many of which involved individuals with no history of violent activities. While the campaign’s stated goal was to restore stability, numerous human rights violations and legal infractions were documented, subjecting detainees to illegal and inhumane conditions. Developments: According to a statement by the spokesperson of the security agencies on January 9, 2025, three armed individuals were killed, and 247 people were arrested, including 41 who were injured while resisting arrest. As the campaign continues, Lawyers for Justice Group continues to document and legally follow up on detainees’ cases, particularly those arrested under suspicious circumstances. Arrests and Conditions: While the campaign targeted groups described by security forces as “outlaws,” political arrests persisted against individuals with no involvement in violent activities. Lawyers for Justice documented over 200 arrests and followed up on 57 cases of detainees arrested for non-violent reasons. In most cases brought to trial, charges of “possession of an unlicensed weapon” were filed, though detainees asserted they were unarmed. Instead, they were accused based on photos of weapons found on their phones, social media posts criticizing the security agencies, or familial ties to wanted individuals. Legal and Human Rights Violations: Lawyers for Justice monitored the arrest conditions in Jenin and its camp, confirming multiple severe violations of the detainees’ fundamental rights under Palestinian and international law. The most prominent violations include: Recommendations: Conclusion: The violations committed during the “Homeland Protection” campaign in Jenin constitute serious human rights breaches and undermine fundamental legal protections for detainees. We urge the relevant authorities in Palestine to take necessary measures to uphold justice, safeguard detainees’ rights, ensure fair trials, and adhere to international human rights agreements. Issued in 5-3-2025. Till here, Lawyers for Justice.
Press Release
Press Release The Israeli Occupation Authorities Release Human Rights Defender Lawyer Diala Ayesh after a Year of Administrative Detention. The Israeli occupation authorities released lawyer and human rights activist Diala Ayesh on Tuesday, January 14 2025, from the Jalameh checkpoint in Jenin, after more than a year of arbitrary administrative detention. Lawyer Diala Ayesh was arrested by Israeli occupation forces nearly a year ago while passing through the Container checkpoint in the southern West Bank. During her detention, she was subjected to oppressive practices, including torture, maltreatment, and solitary confinement on several occasions. Diala Ayesh is a prominent human rights defender who has worked throughout her career to provide legal representation for human rights defenders, promote Palestinian rights, and expose the violations committed by the occupation authorities against Palestinian civilians. Her release comes at a time when Palestinian prisoners are subjected to unjust mistreatment, violating the Third Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war. This illegal administrative detention was part of the occupation authorities’ policy to suppress Palestinian activists working to expose Israeli violations. Through this experience, Diala Ayesh continues to serve as a living example of resilience and resistance against the Israeli oppression machine. Lawyers for Justice group reaffirms the necessity of raising awareness against the practice of administrative detention, which is a blatant violation of basic human rights, and emphasizes its ongoing commitment to supporting all activists and human rights defenders in confronting the repressive policies of the occupation. Until now, Lawyers for Justice.