Palestinian journalist, political analyst, and senior Balad activist Abed Abu Shehadeh was released from custody five days after being arrested by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Israel Police over suspected contact with a foreign agent.
No charges were filed against Abu Shehadeh, who is an Israeli citizen and was originally arrested and had his home searched on Wednesday.
Abu Shehadeh's lawyers had previously argued that authorities were investigating him solely over a published interview with former MK Azmi Bishara.
According to Adalah, the legal rights organization participating in his defense, Abu Shehadeh’s interrogation focused exclusively on a pre-election interview he conducted with Bishara in Qatar. The organization said police raised no other allegations during his questioning.
His lawyers argued that the interview, which addressed the Israeli election campaign and Palestinians, was publicly accessible and constituted legitimate journalistic work. They also disputed that Bishara was a “foreign agent” and argued that interviewing him provided no basis for criminal suspicion.
US Jewish Democratic Congress members call on Israel to release Abu Shehadeh
Abu Shehadeh's arrest spurred widespread criticism, with three newly elected Jewish Democratic members of Congress calling on Israel on Friday to immediately release him.
In a joint letter addressed to Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, Congressmen-elect Brad Lander of New York, Daniel Biss of Illinois, and Scott Wiener of California expressed concern over Abu Shehadeh’s detention.
They urged the Israeli government to release Abu Shehadeh immediately or, if charges are filed, disclose the evidence to his legal representatives and ensure an open judicial process with full due-process protections.
Sarah Ben-Nun, Miriam Sela-Eitam, and Idan Kweller contributed to this report.