HuMedia

Euro-Med Monitor strongly condemns the detention of Professor Richard Falk, chairman of its board of trustees, a prominent international law scholar and former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories (2008–2014), along with his wife, Professor Hilal Elver, former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food. They were held for four hours at #Toronto Pearson International Airport on Thursday, 14 November 2025, and interrogated under the pretext of being a “threat to national security,” in connection with their participation in the “Palestine Accountability Court for Canada”, which examines the Canadian government’s role in supporting serious crimes and violations committed in the Gaza Strip. This arbitrary detention represents a flagrant violation of international principles regarding freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and the protection of academics and human rights defenders, as enshrined in the core instruments of international human rights law, foremost among them the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Treating a widely recognised international expert, known for his contributions to international law, as a “security threat” is a dangerous indication of an escalating pattern to suppress human rights and academic voices condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of over 70,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 2023. It also reflects a concerning disregard for #Canada’s international obligations to protect freedom of expression, academic research, and human rights work. Euro-Med Monitor strongly condemns the use of “national security” laws as a tool to punish human rights defenders rather than to protect fundamental rights and freedoms. These actions come amid Canada’s continued central role in supplying Israel with military technology and equipment, despite increasing international accusations of complicity in the genocide in Gaza. The Palestine Accountability Court for Canada, held in Ottawa on 15–16 November 2025, aims to expose the Canadian government’s role in funding and facilitating Israeli violations, including arms deals worth tens of millions of Canadian dollars annually before their partial suspension in 2024, with strong indications that various forms of direct and indirect military support continue. This incident reflects a pattern of systematic persecution faced by defenders of Palestinians’ rights in many Western countries, where security, surveillance, and immigration systems are exploited to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli occupation crimes and criminalise rights-based speech demanding accountability for the genocide in Gaza. Euro-Med Monitor stresses that such practices do not silence the truth but rather clarify the extent of international complicity in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people, including genocide. Euro-Med Monitor calls on the Canadian government to issue a public apologyto Professor Richard Falk and Professor Hilal Elver for the humiliating detention, to provide moral and material compensation for the harm caused, and to adopt clear measures to prevent such practices in the future. We also demand an independent and transparent investigation into the detention and interrogation, including disclosure of any external influence from pro-Israel lobbies or foreign governmental pressures, and public accountability for anyone found to have misused security or immigration powers. We further urge the Canadian government to end all forms of political, economic, military, and security cooperation with Israel immediately, including banning the export or re-export of weapons and dual-use components and revoking all existing export licenses, given the serious risk that these materials may be used in committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian territories, in line with Canada’s obligations to prevent and not facilitate genocide. Finally, we call on Canadian authorities to respect and protect freedom of expression, academic research, and human rights work, and to stop using security and immigration systems to harass or restrict human rights defenders working on Palestine, ensuring they can enter, move, and operate in the country without intimidation or obstruction. We also call on the international community, including national parliaments, academic institutions, and human rights organisations, to support the Palestine Accountability Court for Canada and similar initiatives seeking accountability for states complicit in crimes in Gaza, and to build transnational solidarity networks that provide a safe environment for academics and human rights defenders, preventing harassment, travel bans, or judicial and administrative obstacles in the course of documenting crimes and seeking justice.

While ceasefire talks dominate headlines, our teams on the ground in #Gaza continue to document relentless Israeli attacks. In the past 24 hours alone, dozens of civilians were killed or injured as airstrikes struck homes and schools sheltering displaced families. The bombing has not stopped. Israel continues its genocidal campaign against Gaza’s civilian population.

One of the most devastating aspects of Israel’s blockade on #Gaza is not only the restriction on aid and food, but also the ban on cash entering the Strip and the systematic targeting of its financial infrastructure, which has forced banks and ATMs to shut down. Today, even if food is available in the market, many Palestinians in the impoverished enclave cannot withdraw money to buy it