Sheikh Raed Salah accuses Israel of ‘falsifying testimony’

The head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948-occupied Palestinian territories, Sheikh Raed Salah, yesterday accused the Israeli public prosecution service of “falsifying his testimony” as he faces charges of “inciting violence and terrorism”. The Israeli Magistrates’ Court in the occupied city of Haifa resumed Salah’s hearing session on Tuesday and said that the next hearing would be on 16 April.

Salah’s attorney, Khaled Zbarqa, told Anadolu Agency that the court had tried to question his client’s statements as he was answering questions regarding the incitement charges he faces. “The court was being deliberately misleading with Sheikh Salah’s testimony by asking him questions in a way aimed at falsifying his words,” claimed Zbarqa. The Israeli prosecution officials, he stressed, continue to harass Sheikh Salah throughout their approach in the investigation by falsifying his testimony as it was being translated from Arabic to Hebrew.

Sheikh Salah was arrested at his home in the northern city of Umm Al-Fahm on 25 August 2017 and was indicted nine days later by the Israeli Public Prosecutor. He was charged with 12 counts of incitement to violence and terrorism, as well as supporting a banned organisation, a reference to the Islamic Movement, which was accused in November 2015 by the Israeli government of “inciting provocative activities” against the Zionist state.

READ: Sheikh Raed Salah challenges Israel’s indictments

The Palestinian resistance icon spent 11 months in prison before he was released under house arrest with very strict conditions. He has been arrested and detained repeatedly during his long struggle against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, with severe restrictions placed on his movement. Despite this, he continues to struggle in defence of his people’s dream to realise their inalienable rights to freedom.