National Lawyers Guild President Azadeh Shahshahani sent letters calling for freedom for imprisoned Palestinian lawyer and human rights defender Anas Barghouti to Israeli and U.S. State Department officials on October 8, 2013.
The letters urge immediate release for Barghouti, 30, a Palestinian lawyer known for his representation of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli and Palestinian Authority prisons.
Barghouti, who has been recognized as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, is a former employee of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Addameer, a leading prisoner human rights NGO in Palestine, has been targeted for its work: several employees (Ayman Nasser and Samer Arbid) have been arrested and director Abdellatif Ghaith has been issued a travel ban.
The letters were sent in advance of Barghouti’s hearing in Ofer military court on October 9. Barghouti’s charges relate to his peaceful political activity and protest of occupation practices and policies. Barghouti’s next hearing will take place on October 22.
The National Lawyers Guild, founded in 1937, is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has chapters in every state.
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NLG Letter to Acting Assistant Secretary of State A. Elizabeth Jones
