OPT/Israel: Writer and President of PEN Palestine held at gunpoint by Israeli soldiers

“We are appalled by the craven intimidation of our colleague Hanan Awwad and demand that those responsible be held accountable. Holding a writer at gunpoint, intimidating and humiliating her for hours while threatening to kill her because of her books, are cowardly acts that must not be tolerated. PEN International stands in solidarity with Awwad and all Palestinian writers living under Israeli occupation who face daily threats and violence. We continue to call for an end to the occupation of the Palestinian territories and the ongoing war on Gaza,” said Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International

13 July 2024: PEN International is outraged by the detention and intimidation of Palestinian poet, writer, and President of PEN Palestine, Hanan Awwad, by Israeli soldiers at the Hizma checkpoint in East Jerusalem on Thursday 11 July. The organisation calls for an inquiry into the incident and demands that Israeli authorities drop the summons order for investigation into the content of Awwad’s writings. PEN International continues to call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Hanan Awwad informed PEN International that she was physically assaulted and humiliated after Israeli soldiers stopped and held her at gunpoint.  She was driving home with copies of three books she authored. Soldiers conducted an invasive search of Awwad and her car upon seeing her books. While holding her at gunpoint, soldiers screamed: “Terrorist… terrorist,” and threatened: “Terrorists like you must die, and I wish I could do this.” Soldiers kicked and struck Awwad repeatedly and detained her for four hours, during which they interrogated her about the content of her writings. According to Awwad, they were  enraged at the preamble of her book ذاكرة الترف النرجسي: ‏قناديل على نافذة العمر  (Memory of Narcissistic Luxury), in which she presents her biography and reflects on the long history of Palestinians’ struggle for liberation. The soldiers confiscated her books and issued her a summons to appear at an Israeli police station for investigation, under charges of “supporting Palestine” and “incitement against Israel.” During the detention, soldiers destroyed a photograph of the iconic Palestinian author and poet Mahmoud Darwish, and seized a Palestinian Hatta (scarf/keffiyeh) Awwad had in her car, throwing it on the ground and stomping on it.

Awwad is the author of 13 books and poetry collections, including “Woman - a symbol and a cause: the voice of women in Palestinian resistance literature,” and “Episodes of the Siege.”

Note to Editors:

For more information, please contact Mina Thabet, Head of the MENA Region, email: Mina.Thabet@pen-international.org

For media queries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, PEN International Communications and Campaigns Manager,  Sabrina.Tucci@pen-international.org