The Death of Suha Jarrar & why her mother is reportedly barred from attending the funeral

Suha Jarrar, was a 31 year old human rights defender working for the Al-Haq Palestinian advocacy group since 2017. Throughout her life, she worked to increase awareness on how the Israeli occupation affects several sectors of Palestinian life. Notably, Suha Jarrar was a key researcher of environmental and gender policy in Palestine. She exposed how the occupation hindered the Palestinian fight against climate change and advocated for gender and sexuality rights within Palestinian civil society. Suha’s legacy is unforgettable.

Suha Jarrar was found dead in her home in the West Bank on July 11, 2021. International organizations, including Al-Haq and the Human Rights Watch, are advocating for the right of Suha’s imprisoned mother Khalida Jarrar to attend the funeral. Over the past six years, Khalida has been detained several times by Israeli authorities due to her political activism within the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The PFLP is an organization with both a party and an armed wing, and is one of 400 organizations outlawed by Israel. As of March 2021 Khalida has been sentenced to serve two years in prison without trial for her membership in the PFLP. The Human Rights Watch has reported that such detainment violates freedom of association as Khalida has never been charged for involvement in any armed activities.

Reportedly, Israel is denying Khalida from attending her daughter’s funeral. Khalida was also prevented from seeing her daughter in the past six years while she was in prison, Holding Khalida without trial is already a clear violation of her rights by Israel’s apartheid regime, it is a mere ask to allow Khalida to attend her daughter’s funeral. Unfortunately this very human story of a family being prevented to grieve is an all too familiar one for Palestinians.