The Palestinian Performing Arts Network (PPAN), organizations and individuals that represent the majority of the Palestinian cultural sector, are deeply concerned by the continued and unexplained administrative detention of Mohammad Abu Sakha, a 24 year old circus trainer and performer. Mohammad has been part of the Palestinian Circus School since 2008, first as a student and since 2011 as a full time trainer, performer and clown.
On January 11, 2016 Mohammad was sentenced by a military court to 6 months administrative detention, without any charges presented to him. Administrative detention is a procedure that allows the Israeli military to hold prisoners indefinitely on secret information without charging them or allowing them to stand trial. The Israeli practice of administrative detention has been condemned on numerous occasions by the UN Human Rights Office and the Human Rights Committee that oversees implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Israel has ratified.
The Palestinian Performing Arts Network calls upon our fellow artists and cultural organizations to raise awareness of Israel’s illegal policy of administrative detention and to pressure the Israeli government to immediately release Mohammed Abu Sakha.
- Sign the petition of Amnesty International and write letters: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/free-palestinian-circus-performer-held-israel
- Share your statements or actions with us at [email protected]
- Tweet using #FREEABUSAKHA
- Sign the Avaaz petition
Representative organizations in the Palestinian performing arts community who have endorsed this call:
Al-Harah Theatre, Bethlehem: www.alharah.org
The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, Ramallah and Gaza: http://ncm.birzeit.edu/en
Al Kamandjati Association, Ramallah: www.alkamandjati.com
Theatre Day Productions, Gaza: www.theatreday.org
Yes Theatre, Hebron: www.yestheatre.org
The Palestinian Circus School, Ramallah: www.palcircus.ps
The Freedom Theatre, Jenin refugee camp: www.thefreedomtheatre.org
Popular Art Center, El Bireh: www.popularartcentre.org
El Funoun Dance Troupe, El Bireh: www.el-funoun.org
Ashtar Theatre, Ramallah: www.ashtar-theatre.org
The Magnificat Institute, Jerusalem: www.magnificat.custodia.org