Five days in a Montreal jail for criticizing Zionism on social media

Author Yves Engler was released on bail after five days of imprisonment in Montreal. The prominent pro-Palestine activist is being charged for criticizing Zionism on the social media platform X.

Friends and supporters attended his bail hearing.

In my view, this is an abuse of the legal system.

This law firm prepared this whole file about harassment and submitted to the police, and in my view, pressured them to lay these charges.

It's not because somebody writes something that you don't like, that they should be handcuffed and thrown in jail, even for a minute.

Alex Tyrrel, Leader of The Green Party of Quebec

• Canadian author Yves Engler released on bail
  

  Canadian author Yves Engler released on bail

  Canadian author Yves Engler has been released, but is facing charges for posting on the social media platform X.

Pro-Palestine activists were among those who packed the bail hearing room and also congregated outside the Montreal courthouse.

They assert that an attack on one person's right to free speech is an attack on all.

The arrest of Yves Engler is completely unacceptable.

We're seeing a huge wave of repression against pro-Palestine activists and for speaking out against genocide.

People showed up in solidarity with Yves Engler against this crackdown on freedom of speech.

The people here will continue to advocate and continue to stand up against genocide and to demand that the Western governments impose an arms embargo on the Zionist entity.

Zeyad Abisaab, Palestinian Youth Movement

• Palestine solidarity activist in court for organizing 'illegal' demo
  

  Palestine solidarity march acrivist in court for organizing 'illegal' demo

  Demonstrators gather outside a London court which is trying one of the organizers of a pro-Palestine march in London arrested last month.

As with many other pro-Palestine arrests, prosecutors tried to coerce Engler into accepting a bail condition that would bar him from speaking publicly about the case, but he refused.

When 2,500 email letters called for the charges to be dropped, he was hit with additional charges. His next court appearance has been set for April.

It's unbelievable that I spent five days in jail because this, this extreme Zionist pursued charges against me, and then the police wanted to bring in conditions that said I wasn't allowed to talk about the fact that there were charges against me for criticizing Israel.

I think the headline is "Author spends five days in jail for the right to write about being charged for criticizing Israel".

Yves Engler, Author

• Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal attends pretrial hearing
  

  Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal attends pretrial hearing

  The director of the UK-based Palestine Solidarity campaign faces public order charges following a pro-Palestine rally in London.

Yves came out of this with his head high, honorable, after passing a long weekend without being able to talk to his family or his lawyers.

And so the next step, of course, is to prepare the trial.

And we'll figure out the best way to prepare the trial.

John Philpot, Lawyer

The outcome of this unprecedented case in which charges have been brought against Engler will have significant implications for Canada.

The case draws attention from the pro-Palestine movement and advocates of free speech and civil liberties, both domestically and internationally.

• 'Shocking attack on free expression': Canadian politician condemns arrest of pro-Palestine activist
  

  'Shocking attack on free expression': Canadian politician condemns arrest of pro-Palestine activist

  A senior Canadian politician has condemned the recent arrest of Yves Engler, a Montreal-based author and activist against the Israeli apartheid.

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