LAYAN NASIR, a 25-year Anglican Palestinian, was taken into Israeli custody on Thursday, although she had previously been told that her seven-and-a-half month sentence would not start until November.
Ms Nasir, a member of the congregation of St Peter’s, Birzeit, in the occupied West Bank, was convicted, in absentia, last month (News, 18 September). It is understood that the charges relate to alleged involvement, several years ago, with a student group that was designated unlawful by Israeli authorities.
She was first imprisoned in 2021, and taken back into detention in April 2024. She spent eight months of last year in “administrative detention”, without any charges laid against her (News, 6 December 2024).
Her detention last year was criticised by Church of England bishops (News, 1 May 2024), and the Church Times understands that a number of bishops have been in touch with Ms Nasir’s family in recent days.
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has asked her diocese to join her in praying for Ms Nasir’s release and “for an end to this injustice, which is all the more bitter against the backdrop of the encouraging news about today’s Gaza peace deal”.
Dr Francis-Dehqani, who met Ms Nasir after her release (News, 24 January), also relit the candle that she had previously kept lit while Ms Nasir was previously in detention.
The Dean of St George’s College, the Very Revd Canon Richard Sewell, said on Thursday: “The timing is a particularly cruel blow, but it’s a stark reminder of what Palestinians are truly up against in the continuing struggle, which is not impacted by the agreement for Gaza.”
The Chaplain to the Archbishop in Jerusalem, Canon Don Binder, wrote on social media that the timing of Ms Nasir’s incarceration was “suspicious”.
“Negotiations are in process for the release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners as part of the Ceasefire Agreement. It may well be that the government is looking to ‘pad its numbers’ by taking additional Palestinians into custody,” he wrote.
“If that is indeed the case, let us all pray that Layan is part of that deal, and that she will be released next week to her family.”