Israeli occupation prevents Sheikh Sabri from traveling

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On Sunday evening, the Israeli occupation authorities imposed on Al-Aqsa Mosque preacher Sheikh Ikrima Sabri a travel ban for four months.

Sheikh Sabri's office said, in a written statement, that "Israeli intelligence handed Sheikh Ekrima Sabri a decision signed by the Israeli Minister of Interior, Ayelet Shaked, banning him from leaving the country for a period of four months."

He pointed out that the Israeli Minister claimed that the reason behind the decision is that the Sheikh "presents a threat to the security" of the Israeli entity. 

Sheikh Sabri said in a tweet on Twitter, "By God's grace, we have been honored with the blessing of being stationed in occupied Al-Quds, and we will never leave this blessed land, God willing."

He added that the unjust decision will not change his position or deter him from performing his religious duty toward his people and nation.

On his part, Hamza Qutina, Sheikh Sabri’s lawyer, said the decision to prevent Sheikh Sabri from leaving the country comes as part of a series of arbitrary prosecution and harassment procedures and of the fight against his religious role as a preacher for the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and head of the Supreme Islamic Council in occupied Al-Quds.

He considered that the decision violates international laws and human rights and, in particular, infringes on the basic human right to free movement. The arbitrary Israeli decision is carried out within the administrative procedures of the occupation that does not take into account human rights or the right to defense.

It is worth noting that the Israeli authorities have previously prevented Sheikh Sabri from traveling more than once in the past years and have also prevented him for months from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque.