Palestinian clowns hold portraits of their colleague Mohammed Abu Sakha during a demonstration in solidarity with him in February 2016 in Gaza
A Palestinian clown accused by Israel's Ben Bet security agency of membership of a banned leftist group called the Popular Front for th liberation of Palestine and held without charge for 20 months has been released. On Thursday, 26 years old Mohammed Abu Sakha was released from Administration detention, the controversial measure in which Israel detains suspects without trial.
The procedure allows Israel to keep suspects in prison for very long stretches of time without needing to begin a legal procedure or even informing the arrested people why they are being held.
Abu Sakha returned to the Northern West Bank city of Jenin , where friends and family were waiting to welcome him.
Abu had been part of the Palestinian Circus School. in Bin Ziet in the West Bank since 2008,first as a student, and later as a clown and teacher. To the children with mental disabilities that he had taught before his imprisonment, who attach a lot of importance to their emotions, his arrest and subsequent imprisonment must have been incredibly hurtful
He says he will return to the circus, which is a constant source of hope for the oppressed population. He wants to devote his life to improving the lives of children and young people in the West Bank.
His imprisonment had sparked a high-profile campaign for his release, with support from circus performers and activists around the world.During street performances of pogo stick jumping or other acrobatic routines, they have all been raising signs that say, “Free Abu Sakha!” Some of them have also posted video clips from their own circuses. American recording artist David Rovics wrote a song about him, too: “He could have been a fighter, as so many others did. … Instead he joined a circus troupe to warm the aching hearts. Sometimes the hula hoop is the best way to play your part. And his only crime was making children happy.”
Amnesty International also strongly condemned his detention calling for him to be “charged with a crime or released”. Saying that they opposed administrative detention, “because it violates the right to liberty and to a fair trial”.
“Amnesty International also considers that Israel’s use of administrative detention itself may amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, given the detainee’s inability to know why they are being detained or when they will be released,” the group said in a statement.
Abu Sakha, 26, told Middle East Eye that he had mixed feelings about being released from administrative detention, a controversial measure under which Israel detains suspects without trial for periods of several months.
“I’m happy to be released … but I know that there are many people in the same position as me still inside, so I’m sad at the same time,” said Abu Sakha :http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-frees-palestinian-clown-after-nearly-two-year-detention-without-charge-310587888
Palestinian human rights activist groups report that to date there are at least 6200 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails; of these, approximately 450 are held on the basis of an administrative detention order.
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