German court rules ban on Palestinian-British surgeon unlawful

A German court has ruled on Friday in favour of Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, a prominent Palestinian-British surgeon and academic, declaring that a ban on his political activity in Germany was unlawful.

The Berlin Administrative Court found that the Berlin Immigration Office had wrongly prevented Abu Sittah from entering the country to speak at the Palestine Congress in 2024. The court highlighted that Abu Sittah’s testimony regarding Israeli air strikes in Gaza in October and November 2023, which he had provided to the International Criminal Court (ICC), should have been taken into account.

The Palestine Congress, organised by pro-Palestinian activists, was shut down by German police shortly after it began. The three-day event was expected to address Germany’s alleged complicity in Israeli military operations, as well as other issues affecting Palestinians.

Abu Sittah, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and rector of the University of Glasgow, spent 43 days in Gaza during Israel’s initial attack in October 2023, providing medical care. He had been invited to the Berlin conference to share his experiences, but his entry to Germany had been blocked by authorities.

The ruling has been welcomed by activists and human rights groups, who described it as a victory for freedom of speech and a rebuke to what they see as restrictive measures targeting Palestinian voices in Europe.