Brussels, Belgium – The Belgian organization that the Palestinian activist works for describes the incident as “a form of state harassment” has caused concern.
After attending a daily demonstration calling for the end of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Mohammed Khatib, the 35-year-old European coordinator for Samidoun, a global Palestinian prisoner solidarity network, was detained on April 21.
Difficulty crowds of people assemble on the steps of the former stock exchange in Brussels every evening to adorn the flag of Palestine and chant ‘solidarity’ slogans in English, Arabic, and French.
Although it’s common to see police everywhere, Khatib felt uneasy after noticing an officer photographing him.
He left about 7:30 p.m. (17:30 GMT) and was stopped by nearby police for what he called a “spontaneous” ID check.
He was taken to a central station by a police van and arrested. About 30 supporters gathered outside and chanted, “Free our comrade! before being dispersed by riot police around 10 p.m. (20:00 GMT).
Then, Khatib was moved to a nearby station. He was interrogated without the assistance of an attorney and released around 5 a.m. (02:00 GMT).
Khatib claimed that he spent hours in a cell before being asked for a brief moment regarding a knife-related incident in April 2024. A brief hospital stay was also made for non-urgent medications.
Khatib told Al Jazeera, “They were doing everything they could to keep me.”
Mohammed Khatib was detained in accordance with the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office’s statement to Al Jazeera. After questioning, he was free. ”
tensions between the pro-Palestine movement and Belgium
Khatib, a Palestinian refugee who was born in Lebanon’s Ein El Hilweh camp in 1990, applied for asylum and co-founded Samidoun a year later. His occupation is primarily focused on fighting for the rights of Palestinians held in Israel.
Khatib has been identified as a “serious” security threat by the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis (CUTA), an independent body that is accountable to Belgium’s justice and interior ministries, as a result of Samidoun’s position on Israel-Palestine.
Khatib claimed that officers’ initial justification for the arrest on April 21 was the CUTA designation.
He has been detained twice before this. He was detained at a demonstration in October 2023 after refusing to stop waving the flag of Palestine.
He claimed that the most recent detention was “nothing in terms of what we are facing,” referring to efforts made by some Western countries to stop the pro-Palestine movement.
According to Samidoun, the arrest was considered to be “a form of state harassment against a well-known leader, not just of Samidoun but of the growing movement against the ongoing genocide in occupied Palestine.”
Refugee and immigration lawyer Benoit Dhondt told Al Jazeera, “It’s difficult to not see it in that light.” Because of how untold a genocide in Gaza is being carried out in Europe, many people are now living in schizophrenia. ”
In addition, he claimed that the pro-Palestine movement’s excessive policing makes it difficult to comprehend what is actually happening.
In The Electronic Intifada, author and journalist David Cronin wrote, “We must ask: Who is next if the Belgian authorities succeed in muzzling Mohammed Khatib and Samidoun.” All activists who support Palestine’s solidarity are in danger. ”
Police used tear gas and water cannons to peacefully protested outside the Israeli embassies in Brussels in May last year on the orders of Mayor Boris Dillies, who claimed the demonstration was unlawful. The measure was deemed to be in violation of international law in an open letter signed by Amnesty International.
When a protest at the US embassy turned into overtime, police made about 40 arrests earlier that month.
Amnesty noted that administrative arrest is becoming more prevalent in Belgium as a report on the state of the right to protest that was released in July.
Lawyer Helene Crokart, a lawyer for immigration and human rights, claimed that arrests are sometimes regarded as “outright intimidation” and not isolated incidents.
Khatib in the crosshairs, Samidoun
Nicole De Moor, a Christian Democrat, the then-State Secretary for Migration and Asylum, announced a procedure to deport Khatib, who she described as a “hate preacher,” from the asylum system on October 15.
Recognition as a refugee can be withdrawn, she said, even if the person turns out to be an extremist if they have already been recognized as a refugee.
Samidoun was also blacklisted by the United States and Canada, who claimed it was a “sham charity” and that it had raised money for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group that had been given a “terrorist” designation the same day.
The allegation was refuted by Samidoun.
Samidoun was banned in 2023 by Germany because it commemorated the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. According to Khatib, “Some Palestinians were handing out baklava in the streets. Additionally, we were present with the Samidoun flag. ”
A Swiss government spokesman claims that Khatib has also been prohibited from entering Switzerland for ten years, which is only done when they pose a “concrete” threat to national security. He was prevented from speaking at a university in the Netherlands in October.
1,139 people were killed and more than 200 were taken into custody in Gaza during the attacks in October 2023. More than 52,000 people have died in the besieged enclave as a result of Israel’s most recent war against Gaza, including more than 17,000 children. Israel has defended the atrocity as an attempt to put an end to Hamas.
Samidoun is categorized as an “extremist” organization, which means it is not a crime, according to a CUTA representative.
The spokesperson said, “We are more interested in keeping an eye on the leadership, the members, what they do and say, how they disrupt public order, and what group they might be targeting.”
The right-wing Belgian government, which was elected in February, has a lot more compassion for Israel than its predecessor.
Despite an ICC warrant for his arrest on charges of crimes against humanity, Prime Minister Bart De Wever of the New Flemish Alliance party claimed that Belgium would not detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Alexander De Croo, the then-Liberal Premier, said the opposite four months earlier.
According to official documents, the coalition under the leadership of De Wever intends to “ban dangerous radical organizations like Samidoun because of their ties to terrorism or for spreading antisemitism.”
However, Belgian positions depend heavily on decisions made by the European Union and the UN Security Council, so it would likely take a while to implement.
Anneleen Van Bossuyt, Anneleen Van Bossuyt’s replacement, backs the initiative to remove Khatib from the refugee list. The commissioner general for refugees and stateless people makes such a choice on their own, and it must use evidence from a serious crime.
The immigration office may make an appeal regarding a person’s status, but once it is finalized, they may request an order to leave.
The case relies on information, even from Khatib, that the authorities have said they won’t share.
Dondt warned of a “chilling effect” on the right to free speech.
Even though it is difficult to explain why [Khatib poses any threat], the government is using Khatib’s case as a “propaganda tool” to support its strong anti-extremism policies, he claimed.
Hatib refutes all claims that there was hate speech.
I wouldn’t be sitting here if they had any weaponry to use against me. I’d be imprisoned.
The purpose of this intimidation is to silence the movement, to inspire us to follow our example, and to promise that if you act similarly, you will be in good company. This will be fought. ”
‘Smear campaign ‘
Khatib has previously urged the destruction of Israel and stated that it does not support Hamas’s attack on Israel. It’s referred to as “justified resistance.” ”
Some consider these positions to be extreme, but mainstream activists have distanced themselves from Samidoun and urged Brussels to support the right to free speech.
The European Court of Human Rights has previously criticized Belgian authorities for allowing the movement of weapons to Israel, but the Human Rights League “reaffirms the necessity to protect the freedom of expression, including for statements that ‘offend, shock, or disturb,” in its opinion.
While Mohammed Khatib and Samidoun’s positions can undoubtedly be described as radical, according to the rights group’s report from 2024, “they have never been charged with any criminal offense, including any for making anti-Semitic statements,” according to the rights group.
The group cited other measures, including the temporary suspension of decisions on Palestinian asylum applications, and local bans on keffiyehs and other pro-Palestine symbols. According to the report, Khatib’s refugee status is not subject to sufficient evidence, despite the lack of a decision.
A “smear campaign” against Khatib was condemned by the Belgian Union of Progressive Jews last year.
