Beyza Binnur Dönmez
28 January 2025•Update: 28 January 2025
GENEVA
Palestinian journalist Ali Abunimah, who is also the executive director of the independent online publication, Electronic Intifada (EI), was deported by Switzerland on Monday following his arrest on Saturday.
The announcement of deportation was made by the EI in a statement, in which the publication said: "The Electronic Intifada’s executive director Ali Abunimah was deported by Switzerland on Monday after spending two nights in jail."
Abunimah's arrest came ahead of a speaking event in Zurich on Saturday afternoon, one day after he arrived in Zurich for a speaking tour.
According to the statement citing eyewitnesses: "Three plainclothes police officers violently arrested Abunimah on Saturday and forced him into an unmarked vehicle without disclosing where he was being taken.
The EI, earlier, said the journalist faced an hour of questioning upon his arrival to Zurich airport on Friday before being allowed to enter the country.
Abunimah’s arrest appears to be part of a growing backlash from Western governments against expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
His arrest was slammed by the UN special rapporteurs as a move against the freedom of speech.
Irene Khan, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, called the arrest "shocking news" and urged Switzerland "to urgently investigate and release."
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for Palestine, called for a "prompt investigation into this matter."
Albanese drew attention to "the climate surrounding freedom of speech in Europe," saying it is "becoming increasingly toxic, and we should all be concerned."
Euro-Med Monitor, a Geneva-based human rights group, also condemned the arrest by saying it was a "dangerous development that reflects a growing trend in Western governments to censor free speech and target journalists and activists who document the suffering of victims and stand up for Palestinian rights."
