May 16, 2022, Jerusalem/Paris/New York – A recently reimprisoned Palestinian lawyer and activist is urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to bring urgency to its investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Israeli officials, particularly the forcible transfer and expulsion of Palestinians from East Jerusalem. In a new submission to the ICC, Salah Hammouri recounts years of harassment and abuse by the Israeli government for his activism, detailing new tactics that include the stripping of his residency from East Jerusalem, forced separation from his wife and children, and now imprisonment with the threat of deportation.
“Today, I stand at the most difficult crossroads of my life, from injury to exile, detention without charge, and more. The occupation doesn’t stop at killing, detaining, and displacing us,” said Salah Hammouri. “It persecutes our dreams and assassinates them. The uncertainty of where I may end up, once I am freed, is a tornado of thoughts chasing me daily. It affects my morale, and my psychological state is like being on a roller coaster.”