Arrest of Hanin Zoabi on Charges of 'Incitement to Terrorism'

SadaNews - The Israeli occupation police arrested Hanin Zoabi, a former leader and deputy of the Democratic National Assembly, from her home in the city of Nazareth in the Galilee, in the occupied interior, this morning, on the grounds of "incitement to terrorism."

Attorney Dr. Hassan Jabareen, director of the "Adalah" Center, told "Arab 48" that "the police arrested Hanin Zoabi from her home in Nazareth this morning, and until this moment, we do not know the details of the investigation, but they informed her, as she told me, that they took her to Tiberias for interrogation on suspicion of incitement to terrorism and supporting terrorist organizations."

Jabareen added, "It is obvious to me that this arrest is illegal because she could have been summoned in a normal and natural way by setting a date and place for interrogation without arrest or coming in the early morning hours to her family's home accompanied by 6 police officers for detention on such suspicions."

He concluded his remarks by saying, "The legality of the arrest will be a central part of this file, in case the authorities request an extension of the detention."

The Democratic Front and the Communist Party condemned "the arrest of the former deputy and leader in the National Democratic Assembly party, Hanin Zoabi, this morning on the hands of the police forces, which have intensified in the last two years their role as a political police; now implementing the orders of their minister, the extremist Kahanist Ben Gvir."

The statement said, "The arrest, according to what has been published, is under the pretext of 'incitement to terrorism' at a time when the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and its ruling coalition are teeming with elements who have terrorist backgrounds, some of whom have been convicted in Israeli courts of supporting terrorism. We reject these alleged charges against comrade Hanin Zoabi, which serve as a cover for intimidation and political persecution, criminalizing political work among our Arab communities, and also among progressive forces opposed to the occupation and genocide. "

The Democratic Front and the Communist Party warned of "the relentless pursuit of the ruling establishment, through its arms, the political police and the General Security Service (Shabak), from continuing to tighten the noose around our natural right to political work and struggle against this government and its crimes, and we call for the release of comrade Hanin Zoabi and the cessation of all these persecutions taking place at the instigation of followers of Meir Kahane."

The Israeli police claimed in a statement issued immediately after Zoabi's arrest that "in an operation by members of the Northern District police, a woman from Nazareth was recently detained for questioning on suspicion of incitement and alignment with a terrorist organization."

It alleged that "in recent months, the Northern District police had received numerous complaints regarding statements made by a 59-year-old woman from Nazareth during a speech she delivered at an anti-Israel conference held outside the country."

The police added, "Following the receipt of the report, evidence was collected and examined in coordination with relevant authorities, where it became apparent that the statements raise suspicions of committing offenses of public alignment with a terrorist organization and incitement to carry out a terrorist act."