Israel: NGO worker's detention extended

Who is Ayman Nasser?

Ayman Nasser is a 48-year-old father of four who has been working for Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association since 2008. He initially worked as a researcher, but currently serves as the legal unit coordinator for the organsiation. He is also the chairperson and co-founder of the Handalah Cultural Centre, which provides youths of the village with sports, art and educational programs.

Nasser was arrested by Israeli forces during an overnight raid at his home in the village of Saffa, near Ramallah, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) on 9 September 2018.

According to Nasser’s family, he suffers from health issues including inflammation in his colon and severe back pain, due to a herniated disk in the lower back. He needs regular medical treatment and checks by specialised doctors, which he has failed to receive while in prison. 

Nasser served a five-year sentence from 1992­-1997 after receiving charges from an Israeli military court related to his political activism; including membership of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a left-wing political party with an armed wing that is banned in Israel.

Since his release he has been arrested two times, on 15 October 2012, when he was sentenced for similar charges, after a plea bargain to 13 months in prison; and again on 18 September 2014, when he was held in administrative detention for a year.

Addameer is a Palestinian non-governmental, civil institution that works to support Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. Ayman Nasser holds a BA in social work and a graduate degree in educational sociopsychology from al-Quds University in Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem.

What is administrative detention?

Administrative detention is the arrest and detainment of individuals by the state (in this case, Israel) without a trial. 

Scope of the issue

Amnesty International has documented an escalation of acts of intimidation by the Israeli government against Palestinian civil society organisations and human rights activists in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Among those affected are NGOs like Addameer and its staff members.

On 19 September 2019, at around 2 am, Addameer’s office was raided by Israeli forces, seizing computers, hard drives, files and equipment. This is the third time its offices have been raided by Israeli forces. Previous raids took place in 2002 and 2012.

Over the years, Israeli authorities have arrested and detained many Addameer staff members. An additional five staff members from the organisation are currently banned, by the Israeli authorities, from travelling abroad. Civil society is facing continued attacks, through restrictive legislation and governmental policies coupled with smear campaigns aimed at delegitimising human rights work.

In the crackdown on civil society, Israeli authorities have targeted organisations calling for an end to Israel’s occupation and accountability for crimes under international law, including through boycotts as a form of advocacy.