#Justice4Halabi
We are seeking #Justice4Halabi. And, we need your help!
Upon returning home from a meeting in Jerusalem in 2016, World Vision Gaza Director Muhammad El Halabi was arrested on false charges of diverting millions of dollars of Australian aid money to Hamas, importing heavy metal rods for Hamas' underground tunnels, and aiding in their military expansion. He withstood 50 days of torture and interrogations, refusing to confess to the erroneous charges levelled against him. At his trial, no physical evidence was presented to support any of the charges.
Likewise, after multiple audits and investigations by both World Vision and the Australian government, no evidence was found that any money had gone missing. Nor could Israel, which had confiscated all of World Vision’s records and computers in Gaza and had access to all border crossing records, provide any evidence that Halabi (or even World Vision!) had ever used the only crossing between Gaza and Israel that imports such materials for this purpose. Despite the lack of any credible evidence, Halabi has been imprisoned for more than five years, having also been denied bail. With pressure from World Vision, the Australian government, the United Nations, and international supporters of Halabi to free him and drop all the charges, Israel has yet to make a verdict on Halabi's case and continues to keep him in prison.
"None of the allegations against Mohammad El Halabi have been tested in an open court, and we support the ongoing presumption of his innocence. World Vision has not seen any credible evidence supporting the charges."
- World Vision International
Arresting and imprisoning an innocent person without due process is a clear human rights violation and a denial of justice. It was clear from the beggining that the evidence against Halabi was lacking but that his arrest was being used to intimidate World Vision and other humanitarian organizations in Gaza, in an effort to control their response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Halabi is insistent on not confessing or signing a plea bargain for a crime he did not commit, or supporting a lie created by the Israeli government meant to stop much needed aid from getting to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Ask about him to anyone that knows him, and the first thing they will say about Mohammed El Halabi is how caring and kind his heart is. Halabi was born a refugee and grew up in Jabalia, Gaza Strip's largest refugee camp. Growing up, he had an interest in fixing the world around him and helping his fellow Palestinians. A humanitarian at heart, Halabi would eventually leave his engineering career for aid work at the global nonprofit and charity organization, World Vision. As a result of his efforts, he quickly rose to become the head of World Vision's Gaza office and a beloved member of and beacon of light to the Gazan community. In 2012, he was awarded the U.N Humanitarian Hero Award for his aid work in Gaza.
It is clear Halabi's case was created to stop humanitarian aid to Palestine and Gaza. Halabi is an innocent man who has not been allowed justice. The solution is clear:
This charade of a trial must end,
Israel must free Mohammed El Halabi and drop all charges against him,
And, World Vision must be allowed to resume its humanitarian work in Gaza.
FOSNA recognizes that Halabi’s case is a clear violation of human rights and we call on all our friends and allies to support Halabi by contacting the Israeli Prime Minister, the Israeli Bar Association and the Israeli Embassy to the United States to free Halabi and drop all charges.
Learn More:
Take Action:
Sign the Petition and Share Widely
Contact the Israeli Bar Association
Contact the Israeli Prime Minister
Contact the Israeli Embassy (see images below)
