Watan-On Monday, the Israeli occupation’s military court decided to release Palestinian historian and researcher Bilal Shalash (38 years old), who is affiliated with the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, without any conditions or restrictions. This decision came after the Israeli military prosecution and intelligence failed to present any substantial evidence or legitimate grounds for the vague allegations made against him, according to his lawyer Khaled Mahajneh.
Mahajneh stated that today’s session was the third hearing to extend Shalash’s detention, following his arrest on April 2 from his home in the Ein Misbah neighborhood of Ramallah in the central West Bank. The Israeli forces had accused Shalash of the vague charge of “undermining regional security,” without presenting any concrete evidence or actions to support such a claim. From the first day of interrogation, Shalash rejected all allegations.
Judge Orders Bilal Shalash’s Release
During the previous court session, the judge gave the Israeli military prosecution a final opportunity to submit credible evidence supporting their claim or else release Shalash. As Mahajneh recounted, during today’s session, the judge warned the intelligence services that they needed to clearly define their position in the case. After a short court recess, the judge agreed to the release.
Mahajneh added: “The prosecution and intelligence tried to impose conditions and financial bail as a prerequisite for release, but we rejected that. In the end, the decision was made to release him without any restrictions.” The lawyer received the signed release order from Israeli intelligence, which he said eliminates the concern that Shalash could be placed under administrative detention—a policy widely used by the occupation against Palestinians when no formal charges are filed.
Shalash is currently held in the Moskobiya detention center in occupied Jerusalem, and he is expected to be released within hours through one of the Israeli military checkpoints.
Who is Bilal Shalash?
Bilal Shalash is a Palestinian historian and researcher from the town of Shuqba, west of Ramallah, currently residing in Ramallah. He works with the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies on a project focused on researching and documenting the Palestinian cause. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Media from Birzeit University (north of Ramallah), a Master’s in Arab and Islamic History (2015), and a Master’s in Israeli Studies (2018) from the same university. He received the Elias Khoury Award for Excellence and Creativity from the Israeli Studies Master’s Program at Birzeit in 2018.
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