Switzerland deports pro-Palestine American journalist
Swiss authorities have expelled the executive director of еhe Electronic Intifada media outlet after detaining and holding him for three days, the Palestinian-American journalist Ali Abunimah wrote on X on Monday.
The pro-Palestinian journalist was arrested in Switzerland on Saturday, just hours before he was scheduled to speak at an event in Zurich.
'We do not want an Islamist Jew-hater who calls for violence in Switzerland,'
Swiss Security Department head Mario Fehr
told
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, as authorities were considering
'immigration law measures'
against the 53-year-old American man.
Abunimah recounted his experience in a lengthy statement upon arriving in Istanbul on Monday. After being arrested by plainclothes officers on Saturday afternoon, he spent three days in a solitary cell,
'cut off from communication with the outside world'
and
'not even permitted to contact my family,'
he wrote.
READ MORE:
Switzerland arrests Palestinian-American journalist
'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 said, adding that, as far as he knew, he had not been charged with any crime.
The next day, he claimed he was questioned 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,'
Abunimah stated, adding that he refused food and any drinks other than water while in 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 said, thanking his lawyer and supporters.
READ MORE:
American journalist handcuffed & forcibly removed from Blinken's last presser (VIDEOS)
Abunimah's arrest drew criticism from several figures within the United Nations. Irene Khan, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, called the arrest
'shocking news'
and urged Bern to release the journalist in a post on X on Sunday.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, expressed similar consternation.
'The climate surrounding freedom of speech in Europe is becoming increasingly toxic, and we should all be concerned,'
she wrote in response to Khan.
Born in Washington, DC, to parents from the West Bank, Abunimah co-founded the Electronic Intifada outlet in 2001. The website publishes news on Middle Eastern events from a Palestinian perspective. Abunimah regularly appears in mainstream media as a vocal advocate for the Palestinian cause.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Russia Today
Israel has transferred Patriot missile systems to Ukraine
Israel has quietly transferred US-made Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, Israeli Ambassador to Kiev Mikhail Brodsky has revealed. The country had previously insisted it was only providing humanitarian assistance. 'The Patriot systems we once received from the United States are now in Ukraine,' Brodsky said in an interview with Ukrainian journalist Marichka Dovbenko published on Sunday. 'These were Israeli systems deployed in the early 1990s. We agreed to transfer them. Unfortunately, this hasn't been widely discussed. But when people say that Israel hasn't helped militarily – that's simply not true.' When asked about reports that Israel has been sending military equipment to Ukraine via third countries, Brodsky described it as 'a sensitive issue' that should not be discussed publicly. West Jerusalem has previously claimed it was only delivering humanitarian aid to Ukraine, reportedly out of concern over provoking Russia, which maintains a naval facility and an airbase in neighboring Syria. Israel has emphasized that it seeks to maintain good relations with both Ukraine and Russia. Axios reported in January that the US transferred around 90 Patriot missiles from Israel to Poland for delivery to Ukraine. The New York Times later said Kiev would receive a full Patriot system previously stationed in Israel. According to The Times of Israel, eight systems were retired from service in 2024. Russia's envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, warned last year that any Israeli decision to transfer Patriots to Ukraine would carry 'political consequences.' Moscow has repeatedly argued that foreign arms shipments only escalate the conflict and will not prevent Russia from achieving its objectives. The Kremlin has listed the halt of Western arms deliveries as a precondition for any ceasefire.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Russia Today
Lavrov suggests moving UN HQ
The United Nations headquarters should be moved from New York to the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has suggested. The UN headquarters – the seat of both the Security Council (UNSC) and the General Assembly (UNGA) – have been in midtown Manhattan since 1951, having been moved there not long after the organization's founding in 1945. 'The best thing would be to move the UN to Sochi,' Lavrov said during the 'Forum of the Future 2050' in Moscow on Monday. '[Soviet leader Joseph] Stalin, by the way, suggested this, and seriously suggested it. But then he yielded to [US President Franklin] Roosevelt – first Long Island, then New York, Manhattan,' the top diplomat said. However, he admitted such a change would be extremely hard to realize. 'All these structures have grown deep roots,' both in terms of real estate and 'in the form of personnel,' Lavrov said. 'Especially after permanent contracts were introduced, the personnel bought apartments, houses.' A sudden shift would be 'scary to even imagine,' he added. Lavrov had previously referred to Stalin's suggestion in the wake of a diplomatic scandal in which Washington denied visas to a senior Russian diplomatic delegation ahead of a UNGA session in 2019, during Donald Trump's first presidency. Russia is one of five permanent members of the UNSC, alongside China, the US, the UK and France. All five have the power to veto any resolution put before the council. The ten non-permanent members are elected by the UNGA to serve two-year terms. Moscow has argued for the expansion of the roster. India, Brazil and the representatives of Africa should have joined the UNSC as permanent members 'a long time' ago, Lavrov said. 'This is necessary to ensure representativeness, the representation of the world majority,' Lavrov said last year, arguing that Western nations are over-represented at the UN.
Russia Today
7 days ago
- Russia Today
South Africa urges global unity on debt sustainability
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged increased urgency, ambition, and alignment in addressing the global debt crisis that confronts low-income and developing countries, emphasising that the world is racing against time with just five years remaining to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Speaking ahead of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), Ramaphosa emphasised the need for unified global action to achieve sustainable development and support vulnerable economies. 'We must achieve these goals not merely because we have committed them to paper, but because the health, welfare, and happiness of billions of people depend on the progress we make.' He described the conference as a decisive moment for the global community, especially in the wake of the United Nations 2024 Report on the SDGs, which he said 'captures the gravity of the crisis.' Referring directly to the report, Ramaphosa stressed that it makes clear. 'We must think and act differently. We must move faster and with far greater ambition. Importantly, we must align our efforts across all available fora and platforms.' Under South Africa's G20 Presidency, Ramaphosa reaffirmed the country's commitment to prioritising solidarity, equality, and sustainability. He stressed that global challenges can only be solved through cooperation, collaboration, and partnership. A central focus of South Africa's G20 agenda is debt sustainability. Ramaphosa pointed out that many developing nations are trapped by high debt servicing costs, limiting their ability to invest in essential services. 'We know, for example, that 23 countries in Africa are paying more for debt costs than critical development enablers like health and education. South Africa seeks to advance sustainable solutions to tackle high structural deficits and liquidity challenges and extend debt relief to developing economies,' he said. To address these issues, South Africa will convene a side event at FfD4 under the theme: Forging a Common Agenda to Achieve Debt Sustainability in Developing Economies. The conference, which will take place from June 30 to July 3, 2025, in Spain, aims to bring together stakeholders from across debt-related initiatives to identify 'synergies and areas of convergence' and build consensus on sustainable solutions. Ramaphosa stressed the importance of the FfD4 conference, calling it: 'A crucial opportunity to reshape global financing systems in support of the SDGs.' He urged bold and inclusive action: 'We must therefore emerge from the conference with bold decisions and ambitious action plans that should really leave no country behind, no community or no person behind. 'If we can have such a great ambition, I am sure the world will be a much better place.'First published by IOL
