January 24, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(NEW YORK) – Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) strongly condemns the arrest and unlawful detention of Palestinian filmmaker Abdallah Motan on January 13, 2025, as he was traveling to the United Arab Emirates, through Jordan. The Israeli military has placed him under administrative detention for six months, without charge or trial, in Gush Etzion–an interrogation center near Hebron criticized for its maltreatment of detainees. ARC calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately release filmmaker Abdallah Motan.

“Abdallah Motan’s detention underscores the urgent need for action to protect Palestinian artists and cultural workers,” said Julie Trébault, Executive Director of ARC. “The targeting of artists and cultural professionals through Israel’s mass arrest policy stifles not only individual voices but also undermines the right of Palestinians to participate and engage freely in cultural life–a clear violation of international human rights law. We urge the Israeli authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Abdallah and the hundreds of artists, journalists, and writers who are being unjustly targeted across the occupied Palestinian Territories.”

Abdallah Motan, a 30-year-old award-winning filmmaker and director of photography from Ramallah, is a rising voice in the world of documentary storytelling. His work spans local and international projects, including documentaries filmed in Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and China. He has participated in film festivals across the world. He was scheduled to participate in the Al Ard Film Festival, organized by the Sardinia-Palestine Friendship Association, this coming February. 

According to Anas Al Usta, Director of the Al-Qamat Foundation (which Motan co-founded), the Israeli military informed Motan that he was being arrested as he attempted to leave the country at Al-Karama crossing last week, without providing him with any further details. His arrest, as described by Anas Al Usta to The New Arab Newspaper, is a “direct attack on Palestinian creativity, […] not only a violation on freedom of movement, but also an assault on freedom of expression and an attempt to silence voices that aim to expose the practices of the occupation to the international community.”

ARC joins the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) and IDFA Institute in demanding the immediate release of Abdallah. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Abdallah Motan is among at least 43 film workers and journalists currently imprisoned by the Israeli authorities. ARC has also covered the recent arbitrary arrest of dancer and cultural activist Shaden Al Qous in East Jerusalem, as well as the tragic death of painter Fathi Ghaben, who was denied the right to travel outside Gaza for urgent medical treatment by the Israeli authorities. 

ABOUT ARC
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) is an international organization committed to promoting and advancing artistic freedom worldwide. We work to protect artists and cultural workers who are at risk because of their creative expression, often connected to their identities or roles within their communities. ARC helps artists at risk overcome challenges like persecution, censorship, threats, and violence from both state and non-state actors.

Contact: Elias Ephron, eephron@artistsatriskconnection.org