Palestinian human rights defender held in Israeli prison without trial or charges
Name(s):
Sumoud Mtair
Status:
Free
Year of birth:
1991
Profession:
Human rights defender
Nationality:
Palestinian
Date of arrest:
Sumoud Mtair is a Palestinian human rights defender from Hebron. She is active in the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall). She was arrested on March 7, 2024. She was detained in Damon prison without trial or charges for three months until her release on June 5, 2024
Sumoud Mtair is a Palestinian human rights defender from Hebron. She is active in the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall), which aims to dismantle Israel’s Wall in the West Bank that was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice, to achieve Palestinian self-determination, and to promote Palestinian rights at the local, national and international levels. As part of her activism and work for this NGO, Mtair’s contributed by coordinating activities for the youth and carrying out field research.
Mtair’s younger sister, Ahed Mtair, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers on 15 January 2024.
On March 7, 2024, at 2:30 a.m., Israeli officers raided Mtair’s home in Ramallah. When she opened the door, they asked her for identification, which she provided. Then, one of the officers requested to search her phone, and she complied, initially handing over her work phone. After inspecting the work phone, they requested her personal phone, which she also handed over. Following the phone search, the officers proceeded to conduct a thorough search of Mtair’s residence, inspecting all drawers and cabinets within the house. Mtair stepped out her door, and the officers bound Mtair’s hands in front of her and escorted her to their vehicle. She was not presented any arrest warrant nor was she informed of the reason for her arrest.
The car eventually stopped at a military camp where Mtair and another woman were put in the yard under the rain. They were forced to sit in the mud for six hours. Their blindfolds were removed, yet their restraints remained in place. They were then transferred to Ofer prison, where Mtair was subjected to a routine search. Then, Mtair was interrogated by an investigator. She requested to speak with her lawyer, and her request was initially denied. She was then allowed to speak to him on the phone on speaker, while the officers listened to the conversation. The investigator told Mtair’s lawyer that she was placed in administrative detention.
Mtair was then transferred to Hasharon prison where she underwent another search before being confined to a highly unsanitary cell, equipped with a dirty toilet, where other detainees were also held.
Throughout Mtair’s time in Hasharon prison, which lasted four to five days, she and the other detainees were given very little food. They were only given a couple of tomatoes and cucumbers and a piece of bread which appeared to be expired, once, at 5 a.m.
Mtair was then transferred to Damon prison in Daliyat al-Karmeld. She was then again taken in for interrogation before being placed in a cell, where she is still detained today.
Mtair was informed that she would be held in administrative detention for three months, from 7 March 2024 until 6 June 2024. She currently remains held in Damon prison.
On May 6, 2024, Addameer, Stop the Wall and MENA Rights Group submitted the case of Mtair alongside two other Palestinian human rights defenders, Omar al-Khatib and Baraa Odeh, to the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, requesting her urgent intervention.
The human rights abuses against these three human rights defenders are being committed in the context of Israeli authorities’ systemic oppression and incarceration of Palestinians, characterised by the UN as “ongoing policies of harassment, threats, intimidation and reprisals, detention and expulsion against human rights defenders, journalists, media workers and civil society actors who peacefully advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people.”
On June 5, 2024, Mtair was released from Damon prison.
| Name(s): |
Sumoud Mtair
|
| Status: |
Free
|
| Year of birth: |
1991
|
| Profession: |
Human rights defender
|
| Nationality: |
Palestinian
|
| Date of arrest: |
|
Sumoud Mtair is a Palestinian human rights defender from Hebron. She is active in the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall), which aims to dismantle Israel’s Wall in the West Bank that was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice, to achieve Palestinian self-determination, and to promote Palestinian rights at the local, national and international levels. As part of her activism and work for this NGO, Mtair’s contributed by coordinating activities for the youth and carrying out field research.
Mtair’s younger sister, Ahed Mtair, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers on 15 January 2024.
On March 7, 2024, at 2:30 a.m., Israeli officers raided Mtair’s home in Ramallah. When she opened the door, they asked her for identification, which she provided. Then, one of the officers requested to search her phone, and she complied, initially handing over her work phone. After inspecting the work phone, they requested her personal phone, which she also handed over. Following the phone search, the officers proceeded to conduct a thorough search of Mtair’s residence, inspecting all drawers and cabinets within the house. Mtair stepped out her door, and the officers bound Mtair’s hands in front of her and escorted her to their vehicle. She was not presented any arrest warrant nor was she informed of the reason for her arrest.
The car eventually stopped at a military camp where Mtair and another woman were put in the yard under the rain. They were forced to sit in the mud for six hours. Their blindfolds were removed, yet their restraints remained in place. They were then transferred to Ofer prison, where Mtair was subjected to a routine search. Then, Mtair was interrogated by an investigator. She requested to speak with her lawyer, and her request was initially denied. She was then allowed to speak to him on the phone on speaker, while the officers listened to the conversation. The investigator told Mtair’s lawyer that she was placed in administrative detention.
Mtair was then transferred to Hasharon prison where she underwent another search before being confined to a highly unsanitary cell, equipped with a dirty toilet, where other detainees were also held.
Throughout Mtair’s time in Hasharon prison, which lasted four to five days, she and the other detainees were given very little food. They were only given a couple of tomatoes and cucumbers and a piece of bread which appeared to be expired, once, at 5 a.m.
Mtair was then transferred to Damon prison in Daliyat al-Karmeld. She was then again taken in for interrogation before being placed in a cell, where she is still detained today.
Mtair was informed that she would be held in administrative detention for three months, from 7 March 2024 until 6 June 2024. She currently remains held in Damon prison.
On May 6, 2024, Addameer, Stop the Wall and MENA Rights Group submitted the case of Mtair alongside two other Palestinian human rights defenders, Omar al-Khatib and Baraa Odeh, to the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, requesting her urgent intervention.
The human rights abuses against these three human rights defenders are being committed in the context of Israeli authorities’ systemic oppression and incarceration of Palestinians, characterised by the UN as “ongoing policies of harassment, threats, intimidation and reprisals, detention and expulsion against human rights defenders, journalists, media workers and civil society actors who peacefully advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people.”
On June 5, 2024, Mtair was released from Damon prison.