Germany Bans British-Palestinian Surgeon from Entering Europe

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is demanding an explanation from the German government for imposing a Schengen-wide entry ban on Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, a prominent British-Palestinian surgeon and activist. The ban, which can last up to five years or longer, prevents Dr. Abu Sittah from entering any of the 26 European countries in the Schengen area.

Why this matters: The German government's decision to ban Dr. Abu Sittah from entering Europe raises concerns about the suppression of free speech and the ability of individuals to share their experiences and advocate for human rights. This incident has broader implications for the ability of human rights defenders and activists to hold governments accountable for their actions.

In recent weeks, Dr. Abu Sittah has been denied entry to Germany, France, and the Netherlands, where he was scheduled to speak atevents about his experiencestreating patients in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. On May 6, French authorities blocked him from entering the country, placing him in a holding zone at Charles de Gaulle airport before expelling him. They informed Dr. Abu Sittah that he was barred due to a year-longbanimposed by Germany without his knowledge.

Yasmine Ahmed, UK director at Human Rights Watch, stated, "Dr. Abu Sittah has seen firsthand the atrocities taking place in Gaza... Germany should immediately explain why it has denied him entry and imposed this far-reaching ban on a leading health professional to speak in Berlin, Paris, and The Hague about what he witnessed in Gaza." HRW emphasized that Germany has an obligation to respect and facilitate freedom of expression and peaceful association, and that any limitation must be grounded in law and proportionate.

Dr. Abu Sittah worked in Gaza's hospitals during Israel's war on the besieged strip and has since given evidence to the UK's Metropolitan Police War Crimes Unit in London, which is gathering evidence for an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into war crimes committed during the war. HRW is concerned that thebanmay impede accountability efforts by hindering Abu Sittah's ability to provide information to judicial authorities across Europe.

Ahmed added, "In the midst of ongoing atrocities in Gaza, countries should be prioritizing ending complicity and promoting accountability. Instead, Germany, in blocking Dr. Abu Sittah from sharing his experience, is trying to block citizens from even hearing about the grave abuses taking place in Gaza." HRW is urging the UK and Scottish governments to push Germany into explaining Dr. Abu Sittah's Schengen-wide visa ban and to raise the reported ban with their German counterparts.

The banning of Dr. Abu Sittah follows Germany's ban on former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis's entry, which Varoufakis is challenging in court. Human Rights Watch asserts that the prevention of Dr. Abu Sittah from sharing his experience risks undermining Germany's commitment to protect and facilitate freedom of expression, assembly, and non-discrimination. The incident is seen as an attempt to silence the surgeon, who has witnessed atrocities in Gaza firsthand and was scheduled to speak about his experiences in major European cities.