Switzerland Deports Pro-Palestine American Journalist

Abunimah, a Palestinian-American journalist, was arrested on Saturday, just hours before he was set to speak at an event in Zurich.

“We do not want an Islamist Jew-hater who calls for violence in Switzerland,” Swiss Security Department head Mario Fehr told Neue Zürcher Zeitung, explaining that authorities were evaluating “immigration law measures” against the 53-year-old.

Upon arriving in Istanbul on Monday, Abunimah recounted his ordeal in a detailed statement. He described being arrested by plainclothes officers and held in solitary confinement, where he was “cut off from communication with the outside world” and “not even permitted to contact my family.”

During an initial police interview, attended by his lawyer, Swiss authorities accused Abunimah of “offending against Swiss law.” However, he stated that they did not specify any crime or present any charges.

The next day, Abunimah said he was interrogated by “Swiss defense ministry intelligence agents” without legal representation. He refused to cooperate, demanding a return to his cell. Throughout his detention, he declined food and accepted only water.

“The police returned my phone only at the gate of the plane, so I’m only now seeing the overwhelming support and solidarity from all over the world,” Abunimah said.

His arrest sparked criticism from United Nations representatives. Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, called the incident “shocking news” and urged Swiss authorities to release Abunimah in a post on X.

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, voiced similar concerns. “The climate surrounding freedom of speech in Europe is becoming increasingly toxic, and we should all be concerned,” she wrote.

Born in Washington, D.C., to Palestinian parents from the West Bank, Abunimah co-founded Electronic Intifada in 2001, a platform that reports on Middle Eastern events from a Palestinian perspective. He frequently appears in media advocating for the Palestinian cause.