Berlin Court lifts the ban on entry for Palestinian doctor

Berlin Court lifts the ban on entry for Palestinian doctor

Berlin, Deutschland - The Berlin Administrative Court has decided that the ban on entry against the British-Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu-Sittah is illegal. This ban, which was issued by the immigration office, should prevent his participation in the "Palestine Congress" in Berlin as well as any publications and interviews. The authority argued that Abu-Sittah could glorify the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 and support the annihilation of Israel, but this was classified as unfounded by the court. The negotiation also showed that there was no danger to the liberal-democratic basic order of Abu-Sittah's statements.

The Congress, which took place on April 14, 2025, was dissolved by the police after only two hours. Apart from Abu-Sittah, the Greek politician Yanis Varoufakis was also denied entry, which caused protest. The court found that the allegations against Abu-Sittah were not strong enough to justify an entry ban. In particular, there were no specific references to planned crimes in Germany, which is why the ban was classified as disproportionately.

reactions to the judgment

Abu-Sittah, the rector of the University of Glasgow and worked for “doctors without borders” in the Gaza Strip, is currently being examined at his university on Twitter due to controversial statements. Among other things, he congratulated the Hamas and posted pictures of a “martyr” of the Al-Aksa brigades, which led to an examination of his statements. His lawyer emphasized that Abu-Sittah had neither approved nor approved the Hamas attacks on October 7; His criticism of Israeli attacks is covered by freedom of expression.

The decision of the court not only refers to Abu-Sittah, but also throws a shadow on the entire event, which is criticized for anti-Semitic agitation. Felix Klein, the Federal Government's anti -Semitism representative, has commented on the congress and calls for an examination of the entry bans that may go beyond the existing regulations.

anti -Semitism officer expresses concerns

Klein calls for a review by the Palestinian author Salman Abu Sitta, who has also been announced as the main speaker at the congress. Abu Sitta, 86 years old, said in a blog that he would have participated in the Hamas attacks in October 2023 if he had been younger. This increases the concerns of many politicians and experts who fear an anti -Semitic mood during the event. Some youth organizations of the SPD, Union, FDP and Greens have already called for protests against the congress.

In addition, Klein criticized the association based in Berlin "Jewish voice for a just peace in Middle East", which appears as one of the organizers. It accuses the association of spreading anti -Semitic and anti -Israel narratives in the past. Klein even stimulates a review of the association's non -profit organization, which secured the financing of the congress together with the Pan European Party Diem25.

The social discussion about the limits of freedom of expression and anti -Semitism is fueled by these events and shows how polarized the topic is in Germany.
The complete information on this topic can be found here: rbb24 href = "https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/palaestina-liebot-.1.7251504"> Süddeutsche Zeitung and Evangelical Zeitung .