A PALESTINIAN aid worker accused of terrorism has been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment by an Israeli court, after a legal process that has been widely criticised.
Mohammed El Halabi, who was detained for six years before his trial earlier this year, was sentenced on Tuesday. The newspaper The Jerusalem Post reports that this period will be regarded as time already served; so Mr El Halabi’s sentence means that he will be in prison for a further six years.
In June, Mr El Halabi was convicted of terrorism charges related to his time as Gaza director of the Christian charity World Vision (News, 17 June). In 2016, he was arrested and accused of funnelling $50 million from World Vision to Hamas since 2005.
Mr El Halabi’s six years in pre-trial detention were described by four UN Special Rapporteurs as bearing “no relation to the trial standards we expect from democracies”.
In addition, independent audits by the Australian government and the professional-services firm Deloitte, have found no evidence that any funds were misdirected.
In 2016, World Vision’s chief executive at the time, Kevin Jenkins, said that the charity’s budget in Gaza over the previous decade had been $22.5 million, making it hard to understand how Mr El Halabi could be accused of having siphoned off over double that amount to Hamas.
World Vision has expressed support for Mr El Halabi’s expressed intention of appealing against the verdict.
In a statement on Tuesday, the charity described the 12-year sentence as “deeply disappointing and in sharp contrast to the evidence and facts of the case”.
The statement continues: “The arrest, six-year trial, unjust verdict and this sentence are emblematic of actions that hinder humanitarian work in Gaza and the West Bank. It adds to the chilling impact on World Vision and other aid or development groups working to assist Palestinians.”
Two weeks ago, the compound of the Anglican church in Ramallah was raided by Israeli forces, who closed down the offices of Palestinian NGOs that rented space from the church (News, 26 August).
The diocese in Jerusalem described the action as “a violation of international law and a terroristic act against the entire community”.