ICSPR Condemns the Arrest of Human Rights Activist Omar Assaf by Security Forces in Ramallah and Calls for His Immediate Release

Date: March 26, 2025

Press Release

ICSPR Condemns the Arrest of Human Rights Activist Omar Assaf by Security Forces in Ramallah and Calls for His Immediate Release

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) expresses its deep concern and condemnation over the arrest of human rights activist and national leader Omar Assaf by the Preventive Security Service in the city of Ramallah on the night of Wednesday, March 25, 2026. Assaf, who is the coordinator of the Palestinian Popular Conference “14 Million” and a former prisoner, was arrested following a raid on his home and the intimidation of his family. This step reflects the continued absence of the rule of law and public freedoms, as well as the escalation of arbitrary arrests based on opinion and political activity.

ICSPR affirms that these violations come at a highly critical national moment, as the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem are subjected to genocide, ethnic cleansing, and unprecedented settlement expansion. In this context, political arrests constitute a criminal act, as they weaken the internal front and further erode national unity and civil peace.

The Commission also considers this arrest a flagrant violation of Article (11) of the Palestinian Basic Law, which guarantees personal freedom, and a clear breach of the State of Palestine’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly regarding the protection of freedom of opinion and expression and protection from arbitrary detention.

In the same context, the Commission has documented the continued detention of more than 50 political detainees in Palestinian Authority prisons in the West Bank, including university students, former prisoners, and trade union activists, held in detention centers in Nablus, Jericho, and other areas under harsh and unlawful conditions.

ICSPR reiterates its strong condemnation of arrests based on opinion, considering them a serious violation of human rights that undermines civil peace, deepens internal division, and directly serves the policies of the occupation aimed at dismantling the Palestinian social fabric.

Accordingly, the Commission calls for the following:

• The immediate and unconditional release of activist Omar Assaf and all political detainees, and an end to the policy of arbitrary arrests and summonses.
• The Palestinian Public Prosecution to fulfill its legal role in protecting public rights and freedoms, monitoring detention centers, and rejecting the legitimization of politically motivated arrests.
• Political forces and human rights organizations to exert serious pressure on the Palestinian Authority to adhere to human rights standards and to end arbitrary arrests and other violations against activists and human rights defenders.