Germany
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Legal Victory: German Federal Constitutional Court Ends Separation of Baby and Parents Over Palestine Solidarity
Berlin, 19 August 2025 — The German Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that a one-year-old child, separated for months from his Palestinian-Jordanian mother over Palestine solidarity, must be allowed to re-enter Germany. The decision ends the family’s separation and highlights concerns about German authorities’ use of migration laws to punish Palestine solidarity.
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ELSC Files Criminal Complaint Against Police Officer BE-24111 Who Beat Up Protestors at Nakba Day Demo in Berlin
On 17 July 2025, the ELSC filed a criminal complaint against a Berlin police officer filmed violently assaulting protesters during the Nakba Day demonstration. Based on video evidence and an investigation by Forensis, the complaint challenges the official narrative and highlights systematic repression of Palestine solidarity in Germany. ELSC urges a full and fair investigation.
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Political Ban on Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah’s Public Speaking and Political Speaking Deemed Unlawful by German Court.
A Berlin court ruled Germany’s political speaking ban on Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah unlawful. Backed by ELSC and ICJP, this marks a second legal win against misuse of migration law. The court affirmed Abu-Sittah’s freedom of expression, rejecting the state’s claim that his Gaza genocide comments threatened Germany’s democratic order. A key victory for civil liberties.
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Political Ban on Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah: Germany’s Misuse of Migration Law for Authoritarian Purposes Must Stop
ELSC and ICJP are challenging Germany’s ban on Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah’s political activity and public speaking. The ban, imposed in April 2024, targeted his participation in events on Gaza. The Berlin Administrative Court will hear the case on 14 July. This follows ELSC’s success in overturning his Schengen ban earlier this year.
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German Authorities Separate Baby from Mother Over Palestine Solidarity
German authorities separated a Palestinian mother from her one-year-old son, labeling the baby a “security threat” over his mother’s Palestine activism. The ELSC is now challenging this shocking abuse of migration law before Germany’s Constitutional Court, exposing how racist bureaucracy is weaponised to punish dissent and silence Palestinian voices under the guise of national security.
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Emergency Court Motions to Stop Elbit Drone Parts Shipment via Frankfurt Airport
Berlin, Germany – 7 June 2025, The European Legal Support Center (ELSC), through lawyer Ahmed Abed, has filed two emergency motions with the Administration Courts of Frankfurt and Berlin on June 6, urging German authorities to block the transit of Israeli military drone components through Frankfurt Airport.
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How a Court Ruling Greenlit Police Violence and a massive disinformation campaign- ELSC Summary Report on Nakba Demo in Berlin
In a troubling precedent, Berlin’s Higher Administrative Court overturned a pro-demonstration ruling on Nakba Day, enabling violent police repression. The ELSC report exposes how German authorities are silencing Palestinian solidarity through legal manipulation, disinformation, and brutal force. Read our full report and explore the new repression database.
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Victory in Court: Berlin Nakba demonstration restriction revoked after ELSC legal intervention
The Berlin court has overturned restrictions on this year’s Nakba demonstration, following an urgent appeal by the ELSC. The march will go ahead as planned, affirming the right to freedom of assembly amid ongoing efforts to silence Palestinian voices.
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European Legal Support Center files urgent appeal against restriction of Nakba demonstration in Berlin
Berlin 14th May 2025 – The Berlin assembly authority has restricted this year’s Nakba demonstration in Berlin to a stationary rally at Südstern. The ELSC views this as an unacceptable restriction of freedom of expression and assembly, rights protected under Articles 5 and 8 of the German Basic Law. In response, the ELSC has filed…
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Scope and Patterns of Anti-Palestinian Repression in Germany Revealed: repression is systematic, institutional and undeniable
The European Legal Support Center (ELSC), in collaboration with Forensic Architecture and Forensis, has launched a groundbreaking public database documenting 766 incidents of anti-Palestinian repression in Germany. The findings reveal a pattern of institutionalised censorship, criminalisation, and intimidation targeting activists, students, and cultural workers. This project marks the first in a series across Europe, providing open access to evidence supporting legal action, advocacy, and accountability.
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ELSC launches first available database on anti-Palestinian repression in Germany On Tuesday 13th May
Our database will reveal scope and patterns of anti-Palestinian repression On Tuesday 13th May the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) will publish the first available database on anti-Palestinian repression in Germany, to be followed by other countries across Europe As European governments continue to provide moral, financial and military support to Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign…
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ELSC Newsletter: March 2025
In March 2025, ELSC defended students’ protest rights in the UK, challenged workplace repression in Germany, and supported legal action in Italy and beyond. From major court rulings to FOI campaigns and new resources for activists, this issue highlights key wins and ways to keep mobilising for Palestinian rights across Europe.
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Germany to deport four Berlin residents for their Palestine solidarity activism
Germany plans to deport four Palestine solidarity activists in Berlin. The ELSC denounces this as a politically motivated attack on dissent, exposing Germany’s escalating anti-Palestinian repression under Mayor Kai Wegner. Legal action against the order is underway.
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Upcoming trial: BT3P’s fight against the Bundestag’s anti-BDS resolution in Germany continues
BT3P returns to court on 26 March to challenge Germany’s anti-BDS resolution. This landmark case defends free speech and fights anti-Palestinian repression with support from the European Legal Support Center (ELSC).
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Anti-Palestinian Repression in German companies – censorship and intimidation at Zalando
Mohamad S., a Lebanese marketing professional at Zalando in Berlin, was unlawfully terminated for criticizing the company’s biased pro-Israel stance. Supported by ELSC, Mohamad successfully challenged his dismissal, highlighting systemic anti-Arab racism in German corporate environments.
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ELSC Newsletter: February 2025
In February 2025, ELSC secured a final victory in the Speakap discrimination case, challenged anti-Palestinian repression in Germany and Austria, and spotlighted student rights in Britain. This issue also covers urgent updates on state repression, solidarity events, media coverage, and new resources to defend Palestine advocacy across Europe.
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Attempted criminalisation of the slogan ‘Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea’. Hearing at the Tiergarten District Court suspiciously postponed
On Monday, 27 January 2025, another case in the attempted criminalisation of the slogan ‘Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea’ should have been heard at the Tiergarten District Court. The Berlin public prosecutor had opened an investigation against filmmaker Dror Dayan for the use of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organisations (§ 86a StGB), pressing charges. The case concerns a…
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ELSC Newsletter: January 2025
In January 2025, ELSC launched major legal actions across Europe, including a corporate complaint against Axel Springer and new evidence against Booking.com. From legal wins in Milan to school repression in Berlin, we continue defending the Palestine solidarity movement. Read the latest updates, resources, and how you can join the fight.
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ELSC Newsletter: November 2024
In November 2024, ELSC secured key legal victories, including Dana Abu Qamar’s tribunal win and Shahd Abusalama’s settlement. We advanced our genocide case against the Dutch state and supported student protests and legal action in Germany and Italy. Read about our community events, legal updates, and vital resources for organisers.
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Legal Complaint Filed in Germany Against Axel Springer Over Yad2’s Promotion of Illegal Land Grabs in Palestine
+ DEUTSCHE VERSION UNTEN Berlin – November 27, 2024 Five Palestinian plaintiffs, along with the villages of Iskaka, Marda, and Taybeh in the occupied Palestinian territory, represented by the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre (JLAC), have filed a landmark legal complaint against major German media publishing group Axel Springer S.E., alleging violations of…
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Know Your Rights: Anti-Palestinian Repression in Schools
Join ELSC, Team Eye4Palestine, and 4Neukoelln+Berlin on December 14, 2024, for a legal workshop on anti-Palestinian repression in German schools with lawyer Yalçın Tekinoğlu. 4:00 PM, House of Democracy, Berlin.
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ELSC Warns Aachen University in Germany About Direct Involvement in Crimes Against Humanity in Palestine
On 30th September, the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) has warned the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH) in an open letter to comply with its obligations to prohibit genocide and apartheid and cut its cooperation agreements with the Israeli Technion University, which is directly involved in crimes against humanity in Palestine.
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Emergency motion against the delivery of explosives carried by the German ship MV Kathrin to Israel
Berlin, 29 October 2024 – The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) has filed an emergency motion with the Berlin Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgericht Berlin), requesting that the court mandate the German government to stop the delivery of military RDX explosives to Israel, which are currently being transported on the German cargo ship MV Kathrin. Berlin-based lawyer…
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ELSC Newsletter: October 2024
In October 2024, ELSC filed a major lawsuit against the Dutch state for complicity in genocide, secured a legal win for Dr. Shahd Abusalama, and supported protests and repression cases across Europe. Read about our legal updates, solidarity actions, student wins, and how you can support the fight for Palestinian justice.
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ELSC Newsletter: September 2024
Dear Friend, In the past month, we’ve fought some crucial battles and secured a number of legal victories, which we bring to you in this month’s newsletter, along with some useful resources to continue mobilising for Palestine. CASE UPDATES BDS Austria: we’re going to the Supreme Court! Do you remember our case supporting BDS Austria against…
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Shocking levels of state violence and repression in Germany: Palästina Solidarität Duisburg and Samidoun
GERMAN AND ARABIC BELOW In the early morning hours of the 16th of May 2024, over 50 police officers raided the homes and workplaces of alleged members of the Palestine solidarity group Palästina Solidarität Duisburg (PSDU). The Ministry of Interior of the German state North Rhine-Westphalia had outlawed the group just shortly before the raids. …
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ELSC Newsletter: August 2024
In August 2024, ELSC supported landmark legal victories against repression—from fighting criminalisation of slogans in Germany to defending students and lecturers in the UK. This newsletter includes major case updates, strategic wins, and tools to push back against silencing tactics. Explore new resources and learn how to support ongoing legal actions.
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Next trial in the attempted criminalisation of the slogan “Palestine will be free from the river to the sea” in Germany
The case of Daria On 22nd August 2024, activist Daria will face her first hearing at the Berlin court Amtsgericht Tiergarten. She is accused of ‘circulation of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organisations’ (§ 86 StGB) for chanting the slogan “Palestine will be free from the river to the sea” at a demonstration on the 9th…
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Court Victory against corporate complicity in Germany’s authoritarianism
In June 2024 Berlin Appellate Court ruled that the freezing and cancellation of the association Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost – EJJP Deutschland e. V. / Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East – EJJP Deutschland e. V.‘s bank account by the partly state-owned bank Berliner Sparkasse was illegal. Jüdische Stimme…
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ELSC Newsletter: July 2024
In July 2024, ELSC celebrated key victories in the Netherlands, Britain, and across Europe—supporting students, workers, and activists facing repression. This newsletter highlights legal wins, updates on strategic cases, new resources for the movement, and events from Berlin to Milan. Stay informed and mobilised for Palestinian rights.
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Moving against intransparency and deafening silence: further legal action against Germany’s war weapons deliveries to Israel
The Lawyers Collective (Anwält:innenkollektiv) supported by the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Lawyers for Palestine, Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD) and Forensis (Forensic Architecture Berlin) has paved the way for further legal action against Germany’s deliveries of war weapons to Israel.
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Berlin Administrative Court Rejects Urgent Application Against Further War Weapons Exports “Due to Lack of Current Arms Licenses to Israel”
Press release of the Berlin Lawyers’ Collective, 11.06.2024 (Deutsche Version unten) In its decision of 10.06.2024 (Az. VG 2 L 119/24), the Administrative Court of Berlin rejected the application of three Palestinians in Gaza for the denial of war weapons deliveries to Israel. The Administrative Court dismissed the application on the grounds that the Federal…
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Dozens of cases dropped in Germany: Failed attempts at intimidation
Deutsche Übersetzung unten / النسخة العربية أدناه Since October of last year, in a wave of escalating state repression, countless criminal charges and misdemeanours have been brought against the Palestine solidarity movement. But as we expected, dozens of cases have since been dropped. This should not surprise us, as most of the slogans and…
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The Case of Dr. Anna Younes: Solidarity Outshines Shortfall of Berlin Civil Court’s Ruling
Case update – Despite a negative ruling, solidarity persists and ELSC funding campaign covers all costs for the court case. In 2019, a secret dossier was created by RIAS Berlin and MBR aimed at misinforming the public about Dr. Younes’ work and opinion misrepresenting her as antisemitic and supportive of sexism and terrorism. The latter depictions…
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Erfolg für Palästina Aktivistin Yasemin Acar
ENGLISH BELOW Pressemitteilung – Berlin, 24. Mai 2024 Das Landgericht Berlin hat zugunsten Yasemin Acar gegen den Tagesspiegel entschieden. Das Gericht hat eine einstweilige Verfügung verhängt, welche die Tageszeitung mit Sitz in Berlin zwingt, gleich mehrere Falschbehauptungen über die Aktivistin zurückzunehmen und zukünftig zu unterlassen. Yasemin hatte mit Unterstützung der Rechtsanwältin Ingrid Yeboah und dem…
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Erfolg für Palästina Aktivistin Yasemin Acar
ENGLISH BELOW Pressemitteilung – Berlin, 24. Mai 2024 Das Landgericht Berlin hat zugunsten Yasemin Acar gegen den Tagesspiegel entschieden. Das Gericht hat eine einstweilige Verfügung verhängt, welche die Tageszeitung mit Sitz in Berlin zwingt, gleich mehrere Falschbehauptungen über die Aktivistin zurückzunehmen und zukünftig zu unterlassen. Yasemin hatte mit Unterstützung der Rechtsanwältin Ingrid Yeboah und dem…
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VICTORY FOR DR GHASSAN ABU SITTAH: ELSC and ICJP overturn Schengen-wide travel ban
Berlin, May 15, 2024 Berlin, Administrative court Potsdam slams German Federal Police: Schengen-Information-System entry for Prof. Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah has no legal basis and is to be revoked immediately after an emergency appeal by ELSC lawyer Alexander Gorski with support from lawyers from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP). This effectively ends…
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VICTORY FOR DR GHASSAN ABU SITTAH: ELSC and ICJP overturn Schengen-wide travel ban
May 15, 2024 Berlin, Administrative court Potsdam slams German Federal Police: Schengen-Information-System entry for Prof. Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah has no legal basis and is to be revoked immediately after an emergency appeal by ELSC lawyer Alexander Gorski with support from lawyers from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP). This effectively ends the…
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Anti-Palestinian Surveillance in Germany: New Hearing in the Case of Dr Anna Younes
GERMAN VERSION BELOW/DEUTSCHE ÜBERSETZUNG UNTEN Today 12 April 2024, Dr Anna-E. Younes is challenging anti-Palestinian organisations RIAS Berlin and MBR (Mobile Beratungsstelle gegen Rechts) in the Berlin District Court (Landgericht Berlin) with the support of the ELSC. Dr Anna Younes is a German Palestinian scholar working on the ‘New Antisemitism’ discourse, race critical theories and…
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Legal Action to Stop Arms Exports from Germany to Israel
GERMAN VERSION BELOW/DEUTSCHE ÜBERSETZUNG UNTEN Press release – ELSC (European Legal Support Center), PIPD (Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy), Law for Palestine under the Justice and Accountability for Palestine Initiative, and Forensis. Berlin – 5 April 2024 On April 5, 2024, Berlin lawyers are filing an urgent application against the German government to stop the…
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ELSC Newsletter: Spring 2024
Dear Friend, In the past weeks and months, we have joined forces with many of you who are mobilising tirelessly for an end to Israel’s heinous crimes against Gaza. In the first 2 months of 2024 alone, we’ve fought some crucial battles and secured a number of victories for the movement – which we bring to you…
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Accountability Now: Palestinians Sue German Government Officials for Enabling the Genocide in Gaza
GERMAN VERSION BELOW/DEUTSCHE ÜBERSETZUNG UNTEN Berlin – 23 February 2024 Today, a group of German lawyers – representing families of two Gazans – is filing a criminal complaint against German Government officials (1), for the crime of aiding and abetting genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza by providing Israel with weapons and issuing related…
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Press Release: a Palestinian-led initiative warns public officials in Europe of intention to prosecute over complicity in Israel’s crimes in Gaza.
Amsterdam, January 22, 2024 The Justice and Accountability for Palestine Initiative has issued a stark warning to European public officials of the Austrian, French, German and Dutch governments that they could be individually liable for their role in aiding and abetting Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of Genocide through their involvement…
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Call for Applications: Advocacy Officer for Germany
The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) is seeking an Advocacy Officer for Germany.
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Suppressing Palestinian Rights Advocacy through the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism
The ELSC’s new report reveals how the IHRA definition of antisemitism is weaponized to silence Palestinian rights advocacy, violating freedom of expression and assembly across the EU and UK. Read the full report here.
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ELSC Newsletter: Summer 2023
Bringing you relevant updates on the defence of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe.
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New Report Reveals Human Rights Violations Resulting from IHRA Definition of Antisemitism
Today, the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) launches its new report “Suppressing Palestinian Rights Advocacy through the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism – Violating the Rights to Freedom of Expression and Assembly in the European Union and the UK”. The report is the first case-based account of human rights violations resulting from the institutionalisation and application of the controversial IHRA definition by the European Union and the UK. The growing concerns about the negative human rights impact of the IHRA definition, have so far been ignored by the EU.
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ELSC Newsletter: April 2023
Bringing you relevant updates on the defence of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe.
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ELSC Statement: No to the Nakba Demo Bans, End Germany’s Criminalisation of Palestinian Existence
In another act of state repression, the Berlin police banned all events commemorating 75 years of ongoing Nakba. Following the demonstration ban from 2022, the police disrupted a Palestinian cultural event on 13 May in Neukölln, banning any political public speech, attempting to stop the distribution of books on Palestine on a discretionary basis, and preventing attendees from dancing the traditional Dabka, claiming that it was a form of “political expression”. One of the banned speeches was to be delivered by a member of the ELSC and a partner scholar, Anna Younes (PhD), with the purpose of informing people on their legal rights. Other events that were banned were scheduled for 13, 14 and 20 May 2023: these demonstrations wanted to demand justice for the Palestinian people by remembering the displacement and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the course of the founding of the state of Israel. At least 11 demonstrations on Nakba have been banned in Berlin since April 2022.
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ELSC Newsletter: March 2023
Bringing you relevant updates on the defence of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe.
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Call for Applications: Chief Legal Officer
The ELSC is seeking a Chief Legal Officer based in Amsterdam to oversee the legal team on all cases and projects emanating (mainly) from Germany, The Netherlands and the UK.
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ELSC Newsletter: October 2022
Bringing you all of this month’s updates on the defence of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe.
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Dr Anna Younes Surveillance’s Case: the Fight Continues with Two New Lawsuits
On 2 November 2022, exactly three years after she discovered RIAS’ covert surveillance of her activities and after two legal victories, Dr. Anna Younes launches two new lawsuits. She requests the Administrative Court of Berlin to find the preparation and transmission of the secret dossier on her unlawful, and she requests compensation.
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ELSC Newsletter: September 2022
This month, at least three cases confirmed, again, that public pressure and collective support, sometimes coupled with litigation, constitute a great tool to achieve our rights as advocates for Palestinian rights!
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Berlin Court Finds Deutsche Welle Unlawfully Dismissed Journalist Farah Maraqa
Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Farah Maraqa won her lawsuit against German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), which dismissed her and other 6 journalists in February 2022.
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ELSC Newsletter: June 2022
This month, at least three cases confirmed, again, that public pressure and collective support, sometimes coupled with litigation, constitute a great tool to achieve our rights as advocates for Palestinian rights!
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Berlin Data Protection Authority Holds RIAS/MBR Accountable for Violating Dr. Younes’ Data Rights
On 16 May 2022, the Berlin Data Protection Authority (DPA) decided in favour of Dr. Anna Younes and issued a warning against VDK, representing RIAS Berlin and MBR. The two organisations had prepared a secret dossier on Dr. Younes, which aimed at identifying “her positions on Israel and BDS.” The dossier also framed her as supporter of terrorism, sexism and anti-Jewish racism and resulted in her disinvitation from a public event on anti-racism organised by Die Linke in November 2019. Furthermore, the DPA rejected RIAS/MBR’s claim and stated that they “did not have a serious scientific purpose” nor a journalistic one when preparing this dossier. After almost two years, the DPA finally found RIAS/MBR violated European data protection law (GDPR) and recognised Dr. Younes’ basic data rights as a German citizen. Further legal action will be taken.
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ELSC Newsletter: May 2022
This month, we achieved an important victory as a German court ruled in favour of scholar Dr. Anna Younes in digital surveillance case.
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The ELSC Demands Accountability After Police Repression in Berlin on 15th of May 2022
Last week, the ELSC sent a letter to UN Special Rapporteurs on contemporary forms of racism, on freedom of opinion and expression, and on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, following its previous communication alerting on urgent threats to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in Berlin ahead of Nakba day.
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Legal Victory for Activists in Stuttgart Against Unlawful Attempts to Close Their Bank Accounts
In a milestone ruling delivered on 26 April 2022 by the Regional Court of Stuttgart, attempts by the State Bank of Baden-Württemberg at financial deplatforming against Stuttgart Palestine Committee were found unlawful and the activists could retain access to their two bank accounts. This decision came less than one week after another legal victory for the Committee against the City of Stuttgart.
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German Court Rules in Favour of Scholar Dr. Anna Younes in Digital Surveillance Case
On 6 May 2022, the Berlin District Court upheld Dr. Younes’ claims and ordered VDK – the German state-funded organisation that legally represents RIAS Berlin and MBR – 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’s personal data based on their “positions on Israel and BDS.”
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Urgent Communication: Imminent Threat to the Rights of Freedom of Expression and of Association and the Right of Non-discrimination in Berlin
Last week, the Berlin police prohibited public gatherings organised by civil society organisations in Berlin Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost, Palästina Spricht and Samidoun, planned to take place over the following weekend to commemorate the 74 years of the Nakba (the forced transfer of hundreds of Palestinians from their homeland). 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 to the UN Special Rapporteurs on racism, on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly.
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ELSC Newsletter: April 2022
This month was marked by the launch of the campaign in support of German-Palestinian scholar Dr. Anna Younes. She is a German Palestinian academic who has been subjected to several disinformation campaigns and surveilled. In 2019, she discovered that a secret dossier circulated about her, distorting her academic work and other data to frame her as anti-Jewish racist, sexist and as a terrorist sympathizer. After two long years of proceedings with the Berlin Data Protection Authority that failed to issue a final decision on her case, Dr. Younes is now filing two lawsuits to seek justice.
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ELSC Newsletter: March 2022
This month was marked by Women’s Rights Day as well as the Israeli Apartheid Week, where many students and activists organised events and protests to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and raise awareness about the Israeli apartheid. This week was not free from censorship, especially on campus, as shown by an incident in The Netherlands. We also share updates from the European Citizens’ Initiative Campaign as well as news from Germany, Austria, and a vacancy to work with us in the UK!
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Can Data Protection Laws Prevent the Surveillance of Critical Voices in Germany?
European courts and national data protection authorities dealt with the so-called “journalistic exemption” rule when the Data Protection Directive, preceding the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’), came into force. The aim of this legal exemption is to relieve journalistic, academic, artistic expressions from certain obligations under Data Protection Law and to reconcile the right to the protection of personal data with freedom of expression and information.
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Letter in Support of Dr. Anna Younes
The ELSC published a letter signed by nearly 500 scholars, artists, activists, organisations and human rights defenders to support Dr. Anna Younes and other scholars, activists and journalists against censorship and unlawful surveillance in Germany.
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Germany: A Concerning Case of Censorship and Digital Surveillance
Dr. Anna-Esther Younes is a German Palestinian academic who has been subjected to several disinformation campaigns, publicly defamed and had her freedom of expression restricted in respect of her journalism, academic and policy work. The latest in this long chain of disinformation campaigns and repression occurred in 2019, when she discovered that her academic work and other data had been privately processed and distorted to frame her as anti-Jewish racist, sexist and as a terrorist sympathiser.
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ELSC Newsletter: February 2022
This month, we share with you some victories from the UK and Switzerland, an important analysis on German case law in favour of BDS, updates on the cases of BT3P and BDS Austria, new cases of repression in Germany and The Netherlands, and a landmark European Citizens Initiative.
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Over 100 Civil Society Organisations Call on DW to Retract the Biased Report and End the Smear Campaign
Over one hundred local, regional and international civil society organizations have signed an open letter in solidarity with Palestinians, condemning Deutsche Welle’s (DW) inaccurate and defamatory report, calling for the retraction of the accusations and demanding the protection of the right to Palestinian freedom of speech.
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German Case Law: A Coherent Set of Principles for Challenging Anti-BDS Resolutions
In recent years, activists for Palestinian human rights in Germany have had to turn to the courts to defend their constitutional rights to freedom of expression and assembly against their cities, which seek to impose the anti-BDS resolutions adopted by local and regional parliaments, as well as the German Bundestag. To date, at least seven German courts have consistently upheld the right of activists to use public facilities for BDS-related events.
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More and more German courts confirm the right to BDS
On January 20, Germany’s Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig confirmed that the City of Munich had violated the right to freedom of expression by denying the use of its conference hall solely because it did not like the particular theme of the planned event. The Court instructed the City to provide its hall for a public debate of Munich’s anti-BDS resolution. The ELSC commends the judges of Germany’s highest administrative court for this principled decision, which represents yet another milestone in efforts to put an end to Germany’s unethical and unlawful anti-BDS resolutions.
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ELSC Newsletter: January 2022
Dear friend, This month we share with you our 2021 achievements in pushing back against silencing Palestinian rights advocacy, a campaign in support of an activist of BDS Austria sued over a Facebook post, updates on the repression of Palestinian civil society, an important ruling in Germany on the illegality of anti-BDS motion, and unfounded…
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ELSC Newsletter: November 2021
Dear friend, This month we share with you important updates on challenging Israel’s attack on Palestinian civil society and the repression of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe including in the Netherlands and the UK, a webinar, op-eds, and other news and resources. On the 29th of November, which marked the International Day of Solidarity with the…
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10 Situations in which the ELSC Can Defend your Right to Advocate
The ELSC released a new leaflet addressing 10 situations in which our team can defend the right to advocate for Palestinian rights.
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ELSC Newsletter: October 2021
This month we share with you news on our work to push back against the criminalisation of Palestinian civil society by Israel as well as our new report on shrinking space and Palestinian rights advocacy in the Netherlands. We also share good news from the UK where the authorities rejected unfounded allegations by a lawfare group, updates from the BT3P team who challenged the German Parliament in Court, and new job and traineeship opportunities with the ELSC.
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German Court dismisses the complaint against the Bundestag’s anti-BDS resolution. The plaintiffs announce: “We will appeal!”
On October 7, 2021, the Administrative Court of Berlin held the first hearing on the complaint filed in 2020 by the Palestinian-Jewish-German initiative Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) that aimed at challenging the anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions resolution adopted by the Bundestag in 2019.
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ELSC Newsletter: September 2021
This month we share with you updates on our work protecting students and Palestinian advocates in the UK, a new report on European financial support for companies involved in the Israeli settlement enterprise, exciting news on the BT3P case challenging the German Bundestag, an important step challenging EU trade with occupied territories and a victory for academic freedom for an international legal scholar.
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Berlin Administrative Court holds hearing for lawsuit of BT3P against German Bundestag
Since 2020, the ELSC has been supporting the BT3P team with lawyer Ahmed Abed to challenge the German Bundestag’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution that condemns the movement as antisemitic. Next week, the Berlin Administrative Court will hold a hearing on the case. The Palestinian-Jewish-German initiative Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) filed their lawsuit…
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2020 ELSC Year-in-Review
Our 2020 Year-in-Review provides an overview our work, achievements and cases in the defence of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe in 2020.
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ELSC Newsletter: June 2021
This month we share with you updates from our work around Europe. In Brussels, we sent a joint letter to the EU commission challenging the political instrumentalization of the controversial IHRA definition, in the UK we assisted students and academics to challenge repression when they speak up in defence of Palestinian rights and we challenged…
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Joint statement on censorship of Palestine campaigning in schools
Repression and censorship have increased as mobilization and protests for Palestinian rights in Europe have grown in the past few weeks. In the UK, children in schools were reprimanded, suspended or even excluded for speaking up about Palestine or showing solidarity through symbols associated with Palestine like flags. The ELSC signed this joint statement along with British organizations to ask the government of the UK to end its repressive policies against activism in schools.
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ELSC Newsletter: May 2021
This month we once again witnessed the brutal bombardment of Gaza and violent commission of human rights abuses by Israeli authorities and settlers. In a global response, communities worldwide rose in solidarity calling for freedom and justice in Palestine. Yet, this call was not without struggle as this month we share with you all too common stories of censorship and repression of Palestinian rights activists. We also share the news of a win in an EU court, part of the effort to stop trade with illegal settlements, as well as an update on the BT3P campaign challenging the German Bundestag’s anti-BDS motion.
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ELSC Newsletter: April 2021
This month, we have a few exciting victories for Palestinian rights advocacy. We recall an important success in The Netherlands, share with you a new report by Human Rights Watch detailing the crime of apartheid being committed by Israel against Palestinians, and report on the University of Toronto being censored for cancelling the employment of ELSC Advisory Board member Dr. Valentina Azarova for her human rights work.
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ELSC Newsletter: March 2021
In this month’s newsletter, we share with you the release of the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, welcome a new member to the ELSC advisory board and highlight our 2021 work so far and how you can help to make this an important year for the protection of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe. JERUSALEM DEFINITION ON…
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New Lawsuit against Denial of Public Space for Palestine-Related Event
In Germany, the campaigners Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) have initiated another strategic litigation. They are now challenging the city of Munich before the Administrative Court to be granted a public facility to host a panel discussion. The event is planned for 20 March to coincide with the Israeli Apartheid Week 2021. Judith Bernstein, Amir…
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Regional German Constitutional Court Rules Anti-BDS Motion Infringes of Fundamental Rights
On 22 September 2020, the Constitutional Court of the State of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) in Germany delivered its final ruling in the complaint brought by lawyer Ahmed Abed and the ELSC against the anti-BDS motion of the NRW State Parliament adopted on 20 September 2018.
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German court ruled the denial of public spaces for BDS events is violating fundamental rights
Another German court ruled that the denial of public spaces for BDS related events is violating fundamental rights.
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ELSC Featured in a Documentary about Weaponisation of Antisemitism
ELSC Programme Director featured in a documentary on the repression of advocates for Palestinian rights and the weaponisation of antisemitism in Germany
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3 Activists Challenge the German Bundestag Anti-BDS Motion
In May 2020, lawyer Ahmed Abed, with the assistance of the ELSC, filed a complaint before the Administrative Court of Berlin against the Bundestag’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) motion, adopted by the German parliament in May 2019.
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We are suing the German Bundestag over its 2019 anti-BDS motion
The ELSC has been assisting lawyer Ahmed Abed who is representing three plaintiffs in a lawsuit brought before the Administrative Court of Berlin challenging the lawfulness of the anti-BDS motion passed by the German Bundestag on 17 May 2019.
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Statement by J. Dugard on the Legitimacy of the Right to Boycott
Statement by John Dugard on the legitimacy of the right to boycott
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ECtHR Rules Right to Boycott is Protected by Right to Freedom of Expression
On 11 June 2020, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) delivered its judgement in the case Baldassi and Others v. France ruling that calling for a boycott of goods from Israel is protected by the right to freedom of expression and cannot be considered incitement to discrimination. In 2009, 11 campaigners advocating for Palestinian…
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2019 ELSC Annual Report
You will find in it an overview of accomplishments in the ELSC’s first year on the main pillars of our program – Monitoring, Legal Defence and Empowerment of the movement for Palestinian rights. Read our 2019 Annual Report
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German Organisations Denied Participation in Cultural Festival
Three German civil society organisations advocating for Palestinian rights were denied participation in the 2019 Bonn annual cultural festival because of their support for the BDS movement. The groups petitioned the Administrative Court of Cologne challenging their exclusion. The Court ruled in favour of the groups and consequently instructed the city council to allow all three associations to attend the festival.
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Expert Opinion by M. Zuckerman on the Right to Boycott
I am emeritus professor at the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas at Tel Aviv University, Israel. I have taught history and philosophy of the humanities, social sciences and cultural sciences, including German history of the humanities, at this institute. Among other things, I have published on German-Jewish history, on…
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Legal Memo on the Right to Boycott
In the case of three German civil society organisations against the city of Bonn in 2019, the ELSC provided a legal memo claiming the full legitimacy of BDS under International law and underlying that the right to boycott Israel falls within the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, of assembly and of association (Article 10 and Article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights, ECHR).
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Israeli Apartheid Week vs City of Oldenburg
In February 2019, the City Council of Oldenburg refused to a grant public space to the local Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanction (BDS) movement, claiming that the campaign is antisemitic. BDS Oldenburg petitioned the Court, which acknowledged its claims and instructed the city to grant the venue to BDS Oldenburg.
