Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta speaks to Al Mayadeen on EU entry ban

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
5 May 2024 08:37
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Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta details to Al Mayadeen the reasons behind the ban imposed on him by German authorities amid reports of ICC action.

Doctor Ghassan Abu Sitta, a Palestinian-British plastic surgeon specializing in conflict medicine, speaks during an interview for The Associated Press at the Institute for Palestine Studies in Beirut, Lebanon, on December 9, 2023. (AP)

Doctor Ghassan Abu Sitta, a renowned Palestinian Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon, detailed to Al Mayadeen his experience in France's Charles De Gaulle International Airport, where French authorities stopped and turned him back on Saturday.

Dr. Abu Sitta flew to France to speak at the French Senate at the invitation of the Ecologists Party (The Greens), however, he was stopped and interrogated after arriving at Charles De Gaulle airport, to be later put on a flight back home. French authorities told Abu Sitta that he was barred from entering EU member states after German authorities banned him from the Schengen Area.

The surgeon volunteered with Doctors Without Borders in the Gaza Strip, working in the besieged territories hospitals amid a blatant Israeli genocide, which he bore witness to.

He told Al Mayadeen that the main reason why French authorities denied him entry to the country was to deny him access to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The doctor was also scheduled to speak to authorities in the ICC, which is reportedly exploring issuing arrest warrants for Israeli war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In the interview, Abu Sitta underlined the political pressure that the ICC is being subjected to from the United States Congress, the Joe Biden administration, and the European governments abetting the Israeli regime's war on Gaza.

In this context, the humanitarian said that a European political decision has been made, aiming to silence any witnesses of Israeli war crimes in Gaza. This policy comes in parallel with an Israeli decision to assassinate all other witnesses to the war crimes remaining in the Gaza Strip or held in detention, Abu Sitta explained.

Moreover, Abu Sitta pointed to collusion between Israeli and European officials, aimed at restricting the movement of witnesses to the Israeli genocide of Palestinians, specifically to international courts.

As for Abu Sitta's experience with French authorities in Charles De Gaulle, the doctor said that authorities stopped him at the airport and informed him about the travel ban, which extends for a year. He was also told that the ban was issued by the German government.

The surgeon said that French authorities chose not to go against the German authorities' request, despite the fact that he was invited by the French parliament.

Abu Sitta was previously told that he would be only banned for the month of April 2024, when he was denied entry to Germany after he attempted to attend the Palestine Congress which was organized by several pro-Palestine entities and individuals. Back then, German authorities banned and detained a number of political and public figures from attending the event, aiming to disband the congress.

The doctor's trip to France revealed that he was misinformed about the travel ban back in April, as he discovered that the restriction extends for one year.

After leaving Gaza, where he treated thousands of wounded people, the Palestinian doctor has been keen on conveying the reality of medical centers and hospitals in Gaza amid the unprecedented conditions imposed on the Strip by the Israeli occupation.

Abu Sitta's work in the Gaza Strip has made him a valuable source of information for authorities investigating the crimes of the Israeli occupation, as he has tended to thousands of Palestinian civilians, including women and children, deliberately targeted by occupation forces.

Concurrently, Abu Sitta has garnered a substantial following due to his continuous media appearances, his participation in specialized conferences, his activity on social media, and his continued devotion to humanitarian work aimed at aiding the Palestinian people.

Ghassan Abu Sitta, the University of #Glasgow's rector and a renowned plastic surgeon, stated that he is being denied entry into #France, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech at the Senate. pic.twitter.com/Bxxo9FPoVj
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 4, 2024

It is worth noting that despite attempts to hinder Abu Sitta's movement, the doctor participated in a session of the French Senate, on Saturday afternoon via videoconference, where he discussed the state and condition of Gaza's hospitals during the Israeli war on Gaza.