An Israeli court on Friday ordered the continued detention of Arab-Israeli activist Sanaa Salameh, widow of the late writer Walid Daqqa, who died in Israeli custody last year after spending nearly four decades in prison.
Salameh has been remanded in custody until 3 June on allegations of incitement and expressing support for terrorist organisations, according to her lawyer, Fadi Bransi. She was arrested on Thursday in Jerusalem following a request by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Ben Gvir had formally petitioned Interior Minister Moshe Arbel to deport Salameh under legislation that permits the expulsion of relatives of individuals classified as “terrorists”. In his 19 May request, Ben Gvir claimed the attorney general had agreed to investigate Salameh based on her alleged social media activity, accusing her of inciting violence and supporting terrorist groups. Specific posts referenced in the request have not been publicly identified.
Israeli police confirmed Salameh’s arrest, stating she had made online statements that could be construed as incitement against the Israeli state and its defence forces.
Bransi contested the accusations, asserting that the attorney general’s office had failed to provide concrete evidence. He condemned the legal proceedings as politically motivated, noting that the persecution of the Daqqa family dates back to 1986, when Walid Daqqa was first imprisoned for his role in the abduction and killing of an Israeli soldier.
Bransi also criticised the Israeli authorities for refusing to release Daqqa’s remains to his family, saying that requests to retrieve the body for burial were being interpreted by the state as an act of solidarity with terrorism.