A European-wide travel ban imposed by Germany on prominent doctor Ghassan Abu-Sitter no longer applies, a Palestinian legal advocacy group said.
Germany has lifted a Europe-wide travel ban affecting prominent British-Palestinian surgeon and activist Ghassan Abu Shitta.
The International Center for Justice for the Palestinian People (ICJP), a pro-Palestinian legal rights group, said in a social media post that the organization worked with attorney Alexander Gorski and the European Legal Assistance Center to successfully challenge the travel restrictions. announced.
The latest development comes after Abu Shitta was barred from entering Germany last month where he was scheduled to speak at a pro-Palestinian conference in the German capital.
He was subsequently handed a one-year travel ban across the Schengen area and banned from visiting 29 European countries.
“This is an important victory for free speech and an important turning point that challenges the harsh environment in which many Palestinian human rights defenders are forced to operate,” ICJP said in a statement on its website.
As a result of the Schengen-wide travel ban imposed by Germany, Abu Shitta was prevented from entering France, where he was scheduled to speak before the French Senate and the Netherlands about his experience working in Gaza.
The ICJP deemed Germany's move “the latest attempt to harass war doctors since their return to the UK”.
Dr. Abu Shitta became famous for sharing his experience working in a hospital in Gaza during the outbreak of Israel's war against the besieged enclave.
He has since given evidence to the Metropolitan Police's War Crimes Unit in London, which is collecting evidence for the ICC investigation into war crimes committed during the Gaza war.
Human Rights Watch and other rights groups condemned the ban on Abu Sitta across the Schengen area and called on the British government to take action.
“This decision is an important turning point in challenging the hostile environment that Palestinian human rights defenders like Professor Ghassan have faced in recent months,” said Abu Sitta's lawyer Alexander Gorsky. ICJP reported.
“But it's amazing how far it has come. Professor Ghassan worked tirelessly to help Palestinians in Gaza who were in dire straits, only to face such injustice upon his return. I faced it.”
He added: “This decision means that Mr Ghassan's freedom of expression and freedom of movement is no longer under threat and he can speak out about what he witnessed in Gaza. This victory is It cannot be overstated.”
Outspoken pro-Palestinian voices, such as Greek politician Yaris Varoufakis, have similarly faced travel bans from Germany.
Varoufakis later announced that he would sue the German government over the ban.
