Free Mohammed El Halabi

Five years ago this week, World Vision Manager Mohammed El Halabi was returning to Gaza from meetings in Jerusalem when Israeli authorities detained him.

For 50 days he was interrogated, without access to lawyers and was held without charge. Israel then alleged he diverted $50 million USD in aid money to Hamas. Charges that didn’t add up as World Visions’ entire budget the whole time he worked there was only $22 million.

Investigations by the Australian Government and independent investigations commissioned by World Vision found absolutely no evidence of any diversion of funds. Yet 5 years later he continues ...

Five years ago this week, World Vision Manager Mohammed El Halabi was returning to Gaza from meetings in Jerusalem when Israeli authorities detained him.

For 50 days he was interrogated, without access to lawyers and was held without charge. Israel then alleged he diverted $50 million USD in aid money to Hamas. Charges that didn’t add up as World Visions’ entire budget the whole time he worked there was only $22 million.

Investigations by the Australian Government and independent investigations commissioned by World Vision found absolutely no evidence of any diversion of funds. Yet 5 years later he continues to languish in an Israeli jail.

Mohammed’s arrest and trial has been riddled with injustices

interrogations that include torture and beatings so severe he’s lost hearing;
relentless pressure to confess; court hearings that restricted Mr El Halabi’s legal team from access to evidence and thus hampered their capacity manage his legal defence;
translations in court so bad that judges intervened.

And, still, the court case drags on.

Israel has had 5 years and 151 hearings to prove their case against Mohammed. They’ve failed – it is now time to release him!

Read more background.

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Write to the Israeli Minister of Justice

Email the Israeli Minister for Justice calling on him to release Mohammed El Halabi. A copy of your email will be sent to Australian political leaders.

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Dear Minister

Mohammed El Halabi was undertaking vital humanitarian work in Gaza when he was arrested.

I write to you to ask for his immediate and unconditional release.

I understand that Mr El Halabi has been subject to countless hours of interrogations and over 150 court appearances in the last five years. We understand that none of these have produced any credible evidence to support the charges against him, he remains unconvicted and has resolutely maintained his innocence.

Media reports indicate Mr El Halabi has been accused of diverting over $50million USD of Aid funds to Hamas. This is preposterous as it is more than double World Vision's entire operating budget in Gaza while he worked there. Further all Australian aid funds are subject to stringent monitoring and scrutiny.

Following Mr El Halabi's arrest in 2016, both World Vision and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade investigated the alleged misuse of funds, they both conclusively advised that they could find no evidence to support the Israeli allegations.

We call on you to immediately release Mohammed El Halabi, allowing him to return to his family and recommence his important humanitarian work.

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