Deutsche Welle illegally fired Palestinian journalist: German court
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The German court is dismissing the false anti-Semitism allegations made by the state-sponsored broadcast channel DW.
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Palestinian journalist Maram Salem
A German court ruled that Deutsche Welle unlawfully fired a Palestinian journalist based on false anti-Semitism allegations.
Maram Salem was among a group of Arab journalists fired by the German state’s broadcaster after an official smear campaign accused them of anti-Jewish bigotry for comments or criticisms of “Israel”.
The labor court in Bonn ruled on Wednesday that Salem's dismissal was invalid.
“The Facebook posts she was accused of were not anti-Semitic and the termination was unlawful, the court stated during the hearing,” as per a statement provided by her lawyer Ahmed Abed.
In a statement, Salem divulged how hard the accusations have hit her given her history as an advocate of progressive causes. "She called on DW to take responsibility, publicly apologize and retract the allegations,” the statement read.
The court dismissed the anti-Semitism allegations made by investigators Ahmad Mansour, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, and Beatrice Mansour, according to the statement.
🚨BREAKING
— European Legal Support Center (ELSC) (@elsclegal) July 8, 2022
🇩🇪First victory in the Deutsche Welle case!
The Bonn Labour Court found yesterday that the dismissal of Palestinian journalist Maram Salem by German media @DeutscheWelle was unlawful & the allegations of antisemitism against her unfounded.https://t.co/lTzwDml1mY 1/3
It is worth noting that Deutsche Welle commissioned Ahmad Mansour, an Arab-German psychologist with close ties to the Israeli lobby, and Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, a former German justice minister, to investigate alleged anti-Semitism at the channel.
Mansour's anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and pro-“Israel” views have made him a favorite of the German press and state-funded institutions.
Simultaneously, Deutsche Welle fired Salem in February along with several other journalists based on their report.
According to Salem’s lawyer, Deutsche Welle, which poses as a champion of free speech and free press, attempted to portray the journalist's mention of "illegal Israeli occupation" as anti-Semitic.
Read more: Suspension of Lebanese journalist proof of DW's 'free speech' hypocrisy
“The verdict shows that the smear campaigns against Palestinian women like me or Nemi El-Hassan can no longer succeed,” Salem said.
“It was clear from the beginning that I am innocent,” she stressed.
Nemi El-Hassan is a Palestinian-born German journalist whose science show was canceled by another German broadcaster, Westdeutscher Rundfunk.
El-Hassan's transgression was "liking" Instagram posts from Jewish Voice for Peace, a well-known US-based organization that campaigns for Palestinian rights and opposes Zionism, “Israel's” state ideology.
“The Bonn Labor Court has made it clear that the strong accusations of anti-Semitism against Maram are without any basis,” lawyer Abed said.
“Deutsche Welle should now protectively stand in front of Maram instead of giving in to the agitation.”
The European Legal Support Center, which uses litigation to combat anti-Palestinian repression, hailed Salem's victory as the "first victory in the Deutsche Welle case."
Farah Maraqa, a Palestinian-Jordanian journalist who was fired during the anti-Arab witch hunt, has also filed a lawsuit against Deutsche Welle. Her case is still active.
I just have been notified without further explanations that I will receive a notice of termination from Deutsche Welle with immediate effect. I have not yet been informed about the reasons, nor been handed out the report on which these allegations shall be based!
— Farah Maraqa (@Farah_Maraqa) February 7, 2022
German elites believe that unconditional support for “Israel” is a form of atonement for the German government's murder of millions of European Jews during World War II.
Simultaneously, German institutions use legal harassment, smears, censorship, and violence to repress Palestinians and supporters of Palestinian rights.
Check out: Germany’s crackdown on Palestinian activity
However, in a hopeful sign that democracy and human rights are possible in Germany, courts have recently resisted anti-Palestinian repression: The city of Stuttgart admitted to illegally removing information about a local Palestine support group from its website.
The city has obeyed a court order and reposted the information.
