Right to Education rejects repeated arrests of Birzeit University students

The Right to Education Campaign at Birzeit University expresses grave concern over the repeated Israeli detentions of Birzeit University students, which have increased in intensity in the past two months especially with the beginning of the new academic year of 2019-2020.

During August and September, the Israeli occupying forces have arrested 18 of the university’s students.  These outrageous arrests are another example of the Israeli’s attempts to hinder Birzeit University’s right of academic freedom.

Just recently, students Amir Hazboun, Yazan Mghames and Naaman Hamed have been arrested.  Moreover, the Israeli occupation arrested Samah Jaradat, who have just graduated from Birzeit, after raiding her house at 3:00 am. Only two weeks before Samah was arrested, the Israeli occupation arrested five students: Mais Abu-Ghoush; Ahmad Kharouf; Rebhi Karaja, and Qusai Iyad after raiding their houses, and physically abusing them.

The students are now held  under intensive investigations at Al-Moscobiyeh Interrogation Center.

Meanwhile, Israr Maarouf, a student who was arrested during this outrageous campaign of arrests  and was given a four-month sentence  under administrative detention.

Most of the arrested students did not have the chance to finish their final exams for the summer semester of 2018-2019.

Over 80 Birzeit University students are currently imprisoned in Israeli prisons, 20 of whom are under administrative detention.

The Right to Education Campaign expresses that these detentions and measures are nothing but an appalling violation of freedom of speech and expression. The campaign calls upon all  international organizations -including all the institutions of education and higher-education, to condemn these acts and hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes against Palestinian youth and their right to education,  and take immediate action to halt such repressive measures in order to protect the academic freedoms of Palestinian students and teachers.