{"id":2047,"date":"2022-06-13T19:38:09","date_gmt":"2022-06-13T17:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.elsc.support\/?p=2047"},"modified":"2025-04-11T21:04:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T19:04:52","slug":"elsc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elsc.support\/ar\/elsc\/","title":{"rendered":"ELSC Newsletter: May 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

This month, we achieved an important victory as a German court ruled in favour of scholar Dr. Anna Younes in digital surveillance case.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On 6 May 2022, the Berlin District Court upheld Dr. Younes\u2019 claims and ordered VDK \u2013 the German state-funded organisation that legally represents RIAS Berlin and MBR \u2013 to give Anna Younes access to data that the two civil society organisations had gathered on her and passed on to others. The information released so far reveals that RIAS and MBR have been collecting people\u2019s personal data based on their \u201cpositions on Israel and BDS\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s next?<\/strong>

Dr. Younes and her lawyer will request damages in court as RIAS\/MBR prevented her from accessing her information for two years. It also remains to be clarified whether RIAS and MBR have been storing further data other than those revealed in the disseminated dossier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an important victory because organisations using the IHRA definition for the surveillance of Palestinian rights advocates will be required to provide access to the information they collect on individuals. We believe that this is not an isolated case and that there is a structural issue of profiling Palestinians and Palestinian rights advocates in Germany. This is what we intend to challenge further in court. This demeanour creates a chilling effect and limits democratic participation in public debate<\/em>. <\/p>Giovanni Fassina, Director of the ELSC.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Read Middle East Eye<\/a> and Mondoweiss<\/a> stories<\/strong> about the case and repression of Palestinian rights advocates in Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Anna Younes, \u00a9 Nuray Koschowsky<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This victory was made possible by the combination of litigation and public pressure<\/strong> along with collective support!
We still need your support to successfully move on with the next steps of the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DONATE<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Read more<\/a> about the case and watch <\/strong>this video<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AUSTRIA: PALESTINIAN SCHOLAR SUCCESSFULLY CHALLENGES CENSORSHIP<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On May 30th<\/sup>, Palestinian scholar Walaa Alqaisiya was supposed to speak as part of the Spring Art Curatorial program organised by the MUMOK museum, the Fine Arts Academy of Vienna and cultural organisation Verein K. After a smear campaign against the Palestinian researcher, those institutions decided to cancel <\/a>her presence only few days before the panel. Her censorship was justified by false allegations that depicted her as an \u201cantisemitic\u201d. The label was used with the effect of silencing the only Palestinian voice in a program dedicated to post-colonial research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ELSC reached out to its support network, the contributors and organisers of the event. Verein K and the curator of the event finally issued a strong statement<\/a> and decided to remove the remainder of the program from the premises of the cancelling institutions. Share<\/a> the good news!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Many organisations like the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES)<\/a>, the European Association of International Studies (EISA)<\/a>, SeSaMo (Societ\u00e0 per gli Studi sul Medio Oriente)<\/a> raised their concerns about this censorship, as well as contributors of the program such as Fran\u00e7oise Verg\u00e8s<\/a>, Kate Sutton<\/a> and Raino Isto<\/a>. The contributors set up a letter of support<\/a> signed by more than 300 scholars, artists and students. Walaa Alqaisiya is still waiting<\/a> for a public apology from the Rector of the Fine Art Academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SUPPORT<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Share Walaa\u2019s story on Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, Linkedin<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NEW EPISODES OF VIOLENT REPRESSION IN BERLIN<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of the 74th<\/sup> anniversary of the Nakba, the Berlin police prohibited public gatherings organised by civil society organisations in Berlin J\u00fcdische Stimme f\u00fcr gerechten Frieden in Nahost, Pal\u00e4stina Spricht and Samidoun. They based their decision on unfounded allegations, using a language that amount to Anti-Palestinian racism. In the face of this imminent threat to the rights of freedom of expression and of association and the right of non-discrimination, the ELSC sent an urgent letter<\/a> to the UN Special Rapporteurs on racism, on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DOWNLOAD THE LETTER<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When individuals spontaneously took the streets of Berlin on the 15th of May, they were met with brutal police repression and disproportionate restriction on their fundamental freedoms. READ MORE<\/a> about our request for accountability in relation to unjustified repression and violence from the Berlin police
 
Also read Human Rights Watch statement<\/a> on the bans and the repression, by Omar Shakir.

In another violent episode, the site where a Palestinian artist collective is set to exhibit next month as part of art event Documenta 15 has been vandalised with hate speech by a far right anti-Muslim group. Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The art exhibition Documenta 15, happening this summer in Germany, has been under attack for several weeks already, after a group called the Alliance Against Anti-Semitism Kassel spread unfounded allegations of antisemitism against Palestinian participants, against the organisers and other participants who signed an open letter<\/a> denouncing the German 2019 anti-BDS resolution as a threat to artistic freedom and freedom of speech. After those smears were picked up by national newspapers, the organisers have also been accused by the Central Council of Jews in Germany of not properly dealing with antisemitism. Nonetheless, they are resisting the smear campaign; read their open letter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the context in Germany, watch this new Al Jazeera documentary Germany, Anti-Semitism and the blacklisting of Palestinian journalists<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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