Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh
Director of the Health Work Committees, an organization delivering health services to Palestinians in remote areas of the West Bank.
as of 06 Jun 2026
in Palestine
All hearings were conducted in Hebrew, a language she does not speak, and she appeared at the first three in the same clothes after authorities refused her family's requests to bring clean garments.HuMENA Editorial
Issued Saturday, 6 June 2026
§ 01Background and the caseEditorial narrative
Director of a Palestinian health organization, arrested at her home in Ramallah in July 2021 and held in Israeli prisons under charges linked to her work, with proceedings conducted in Hebrew and significant health deterioration in custody.
Background and Work
Shatha Odeh Abu Fannouneh served as Director of the Health Work Committees, a Palestinian organization providing health services to communities in remote areas of the West Bank where access to medical care was limited. The organization ran mobile clinics, trained local health workers, and coordinated emergency medical responses in areas underserved by permanent facilities. Shatha lived in 'Ain-Musbah, Ramallah, and managed the organization's day-to-day operations, including its staff, funding, and outreach programs.
The Arrest
On 7 July 2021, fifteen Israeli soldiers raided Shatha's home in 'Ain-Musbah. They seized her mobile phone, the keys to the Health Work Committees' car, and the vehicle itself. She was taken to the Ofer Military Camp in Ramallah and interrogated for nine hours. She was then transferred to Hasharon detention facility, located outside the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Her family members could not travel to visit her; Israeli law required security permits that they did not hold.
Her arrest followed a raid on the Health Work Committees' Ramallah office on 9 June 2021, during which Israeli forces seized the organization's computers.
Detention Conditions and Health
Shatha was held in Hasharon and later transferred on 27 July 2021 to Damoun Female Prison in Haifa. During her detention in Hasharon, her cell lacked pillows and blankets and was under constant camera surveillance. Israeli authorities denied her family and lawyers' requests to bring her clean clothes until 25 July; she appeared at her first three court hearings in the same garments.
Shatha has multiple chronic illnesses: hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndrome. Prison authorities denied her access to one of her prescribed medications until 15 July, more than a week after her arrest. She lost a significant amount of weight during her detention, and her health condition deteriorated.
Legal Proceedings
Shatha's first hearing before the Ofer Military Court took place on 8 July 2021. Her detention was extended to 14 July for further investigation. On 14 July, a second hearing extended her detention for five more days. On 19 July, the prosecutor requested eight additional days to prepare charges, and the judge extended her detention again. On 26 July, formal charges were filed: holding a position in an unlawful association, receiving and bringing funds illegally into the area, receiving funds and support fraudulently, fraudulent use of documents, and presence at a public event on 14 May 2019. The last charge related to her attendance at a memorial event for Rabah Mhana, a former colleague at the Health Work Committees and a member of the political bureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
All hearings were conducted in Hebrew, a language Shatha does not speak and her family does not understand. On 17 August 2021, the list of charges was orally translated into Arabic by a translator who, according to Shatha's lawyer, made mistakes and added charges that had not been formally pressed. A further hearing was scheduled for 4 October 2021.
Context
The charges against Shatha centered on her role as Director of the Health Work Committees and her participation in a 2019 public memorial. The organization has been targeted by Israeli authorities, including the June 2021 raid on its Ramallah office. Shatha's detention and trial before a military court are part of a broader pattern of prosecuting Palestinian civil-society leaders under association laws that criminalize affiliation with organizations designated by Israeli military orders.
§ 02Documented chronology12 events on file
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14 May 2019Tuesday
other Attendance at memorial event Shatha attended a public memorial event for Rabah Mhana, a former colleague at the Health Work Committees. This attendance later became one of the charges against her.
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09 Jun 2021Wednesday
other Health Work Committees office raided Israeli forces raided the Health Work Committees' office in Ramallah and seized its computers, one month before Shatha's arrest.
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07 Jul 2021Wednesday
arrest Arrest at home in Ramallah Fifteen Israeli soldiers raided Shatha's home in 'Ain-Musbah, Ramallah, and arrested her. They seized her mobile phone, the Health Work Committees' car keys, and the vehicle. She was taken to Ofer Military Camp, interrogated for nine hours, then transferred to Hasharon detention facility.
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08 Jul 2021Thursday
hearing First hearing at Ofer Military Court Shatha's first hearing took place at the Ofer Military Court. Her detention was extended until 14 July for further investigation.
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14 Jul 2021Wednesday
hearing Second hearing, detention extended A second hearing took place and Shatha's detention was extended for five additional days.
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15 Jul 2021Thursday
medical · event Access to medication partially granted Prison authorities granted Shatha access to one of her prescribed medications after more than a week of denial. She has hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndrome.
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19 Jul 2021Monday
hearing Third hearing, further extension Shatha appeared before the Ofer Military Court. The prosecutor requested eight days to prepare the list of charges, and the judge extended her detention.
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25 Jul 2021Sunday
other Clean clothes finally permitted After three court appearances in the same clothing, Israeli authorities allowed Shatha's family to bring her clean clothes for the first time since her arrest.
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26 Jul 2021Monday
hearing Fourth hearing, charges filed Formal charges were filed at the fourth hearing: holding a position in an unlawful association, receiving and bringing funds illegally into the area, receiving funds and support fraudulently, fraudulent use of documents, and presence at a public event on 14 May 2019.
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27 Jul 2021Tuesday
transfer Transfer to Damoun Female Prison Shatha was transferred from Hasharon detention facility to Damoun Female Prison in Haifa.
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17 Aug 2021Tuesday
hearing Hearing with flawed translation Shatha appeared before the Ofer Military Court. The list of charges was orally translated into Arabic by a translator who, according to Shatha's lawyer, made errors and added charges not formally pressed.
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04 Oct 2021Monday
hearing Hearing scheduled A new hearing was scheduled before the Ofer Military Court.
§ 03Charges filed by the state5 on record
- 01Holding a position in an unlawful association
- 02Receiving and bringing funds illegally into the area
- 03Receiving funds and support fraudulently
- 04Fraudulent use of documents
- 05Presence at a public event on 14 May 2019 (attendance at a memorial)
§ 05Documented violations8 categories
§ 06Editorial provenanceHuMENA Editorial Board
This case file was compiled by HuMENA's Palestine research team from primary documentation, public filings, family-supplied legal documents, and confidential partner reporting. Editorial responsibility rests with the HuMENA Editorial Board. Where dates or facts are uncertain, the record errs on the side of the source material and notes uncertainty in the live archive at humena.org.
- Generated
- Saturday, 6 June 2026
- Source dataset retrieved
- 2026-05-12
- Live record (canonical)
- https://dev.humena.org/defenders/shatha-odeh-abu-fannouneh/
- Editorial sign-off
- HuMENA Editorial Board
§ 07Take-downs · corrections · partner submissions
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