Swiss authorities have detained Palestinian-American journalist Ali Abunimah, co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, based on accusations of endangering national security—The Palestine Chronicle reports after speaking to reliable sources in Zürich.
Swiss authorities detained Ali Abunimah, a Palestinian-American journalist and co-founder of the independent media outlet The Electronic Intifada (EI), on Saturday, January 25, 2025, sparking protests and raising concerns over the suppression of pro-Palestinian voices in the region.
The Palestine Chronicle spoke with reliable sources in Zürich to confirm the details of the incident.
Abunimah, in Zürich for an educational event organized by the Palestine Teach-in Group of Zürich, was arrested by plainclothes police officers and faces deportation under accusations of posing a threat to Switzerland’s internal security.
🚨We strongly condemn the arrest of @AliAbunimah , Executive Director of Electronic Intifada @intifada , by Swiss police ahead of a speaking event. Free speech and solidarity with Palestine must not be criminalized. Journalism is not a crime. #FreeAliAbunimah… pic.twitter.com/bZS7DmF0UY
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 25, 2025
Educational Visit
The Palestine Teach-in Group, recently rebranded as Watermelon University, had invited Abunimah to speak at its eighth teach-in event on January 25, following seven prior sessions aimed at educating the public on Palestinian history, rights, and political futures.
According to the sources, who spoke to the Palestine Chronicle on the condition of anonymity, the group had secured a venue, which canceled the rental agreement on the morning of the event, allegedly under pressure from high-level members of its board.
With the event relocated to an outdoor venue, police intercepted Abunimah and an accompanying organizer en route.
The sources told The Palestine Chronicle that “two plainclothes policemen, who refused to show their police IDs, roughly arrested Ali, dragging him across a street and putting him into an unmarked car.”
The accompanying organizer was reportedly prevented from assisting.
Full solidarity with @AliAbunimah, who was arrested by Swiss police today ahead of a speaking event in Zurich. https://t.co/2pSNucGHfH
— Tamara Nassar (@TamaraINassar) January 25, 2025
Legal Proceedings and Deportation
Abunimah was taken into custody under the instigation of Mario Fehr, Justice Director of Canton Zürich, that the Swiss Federal Police (Fedpol) “issued a ban on Ali’s entry into or stay in the entire country of Switzerland because he endangered Switzerland’s internal security,” the sources said.
Despite entering Switzerland legally on Friday, January 24, without prior restrictions, Abunimah – who holds only United States citizenship and travels on a US passport – now faces deportation.
“At the time of Ali’s entry at Zürich airport on Friday afternoon there was no entry ban and he entered entirely legally after one hour of questioning by the police,” the sources explained.
The deportation is now scheduled for Monday, January 27, due to administrative delays over the weekend.
“This entails his spending Saturday and Sunday nights in jail with no contact with the outside world except with his lawyer in person,” according to the sources.
Abunimah’s lawyer “found out where he was being held and was able to be with him during his interrogation”.
“About 50 supporters gathered outside the jail building and waited three hours for his lawyer to emerge and tell us what the situation was,” the sources further explained.
However, Abunimah remains in custody with no contact beyond his lawyer until his deportation.
This isn’t a joke. Harvard has a long history of hosting “Israeli” murderers and war criminals as faculty and fellows at its various “public policy” and “government” schools. I’m certain many more genocidal monsters will be given salaries, titles and offices at that den of crime. https://t.co/EwvUfu0tHR
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) January 24, 2025
Broader Context of Repression
The incident is part of a broader trend of restrictions on Palestinian speakers and events in Zürich in particular and the German-speaking world in general, where pro-Palestinian discourse increasingly faces institutional and political barriers.
According to the sources, “politics and press are in the firmest of Zionist hands. This is one example. Freedom of expression is becoming a dead letter in German-speaking Switzerland.”
The sources also highlighted that a second event, which was organized by the Palästina Komittee Zürich and was supposed to take place on January 26, had already been canceled.
The original venue, Verein Zentralwäscherei, withdrew permission after pressure from Zürich’s Social Democrat-Green majority city government.
“The entire Palestine-Solidarity community of Zürich and of all of Switzerland stands fully behind Ali Abunimah and the Electronic Intifada of which he is Executive Director,” the sources said, adding:
“We would invite him again, any day, to educate us and discuss with us the issues whose solution will one day lead to justice and peace in Palestine and the larger Near East.”
The Electronic Intifada's @AliAbunimah is being threatened by German authorities with prison and fines for giving this talk about why Germany is participating in Israel's genocide in Gaza.
FULL STORY: https://t.co/Os8pueF8mw pic.twitter.com/i1SqXPaXzp
— Electronic Intifada (@intifada) July 27, 2024
‘Courageous Intellectual’
Commenting on the incident, Ramzy Baroud, Palestinian journalist and editor of the Palestine Chronicle, said that “Ali Abunimah is one of the most courageous intellectuals of our time.”
“He exemplifies the notion of speaking truth to power. Through his brilliant analyses and tireless quest for justice, Abunimah has remained steadfast in upholding universal, humanistic principles rooted in international law, humanitarian law, and the fundamental right to freedom of expression,” Baroud added.
“Detaining Abunimah serves as a frightening reminder of how Western governments have succumbed to the Israeli agenda, deviating from the most basic principles of democracy. This should concern all of us, including the citizens of these countries, as their very democratic institutions are now at risk,” Baroud continued.
According to Baroud, “The United Nations must not remain silent on the unlawful detention, deportation, and restriction of freedom for those who advocate for human rights and justice for the Palestinian people.”
Baroud also called on the UN rapporteurs to “take the lead in raising awareness of this issue and confronting Western governments that continue to engage in this unlawful, illegal, and offensive practice.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
“We missed out on the Holocaust,” Switzerland’s Racism Minister told journalists, “so we’re making up for it now.”
First it was Asa Winstanley, now Ali…Ramzy Baroud could be next. These are the people who tell the truth about Wasrael, therefore they’re considered a threat.
if you didn’t know, you can read many excellent articles from Asa and Ali, at electronicintifada.net
and of course Ramzy has written many excellent articles here, on Palestine Chronicle. More power to all 3 fearless journalists in these chaotic times.
Termites have infected the whole planet.
Can any informed person believe that Ali can possibly pose a security threat to Switzwrland…?? The accusation is absurd on its face. Arresting a representative of thr media trying to document the incredible suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza where Israeli IDF has turned where they once lived into rubble & destroyed housing with the tens of thousands of the victims buried under the rubble, 2/3 THIRDS OF WHOM ARE WOMEN & CHILDREN & the Swiss government shows sympathy NOT FOR THE TENS OF THOUSANDS VICTIMS, BUT FOR THE THE PERPETRATORS & THEIR ACCOMPLICES LIKE THE U.S. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WHO SENT ISRAEL 14,000 TWO TON BOMBS TO DROP ON THE 70% WOMEN & CHILDREN OF GAZA!
SHAME ON THEM!!!
Bravo for posting this article and the presentation by Ali Abunimah. He has great support in his home town of Chicago. –Neal Resnikoff, Chicago