Mourning the martyrs brings Sheikh Ekrima Sabri before the court... A new session is scheduled for 6/1/2026
A hearing was held today, Tuesday, to review the trial file of Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, head of the Islamic Supreme Council, Imam, and preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, following an indictment filed against him that includes "incitement to terrorism" during condolence speeches delivered at the funeral homes of the martyr Udi Tamimi in Jerusalem and the martyr Raed Khazem in Jenin in 2022, in addition to the mourning of the head of the Hamas movement, Sheikh Ismail Haniyeh, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in 2024.
Sheikh Ekrima Sabri made a brief statement after the session:
What happened in court confirms the prosecution's failure to prove its claims. The prosecution tried to emphasize the charges but was unable to do so, and we see the trial as unjust, unjustified, and inhumane. Our positions are firm, and what we are doing is a religious duty, especially in offering condolences to those who need comfort after losing loved ones. This is our duty, and it should not be seen as (violating the law or terrorism). We believe we have a legitimate right and remain steadfast in our positions.
The defense team for Sheikh Ekrima Sabri confirmed that what is happening is a political trial aimed at undermining the Sheikh's religious and national role in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and an effort to restrict Islamic religious discourse.
The judge postponed the session to June 1, 2026, to review the case of Sheikh Ekrima Sabri after the defense requested all the documents related to the case.
Lawyer Medhat Deebeh... “Chaos inside the courtroom and an unexplained delay”
According to defense attorney Medhat Deebeh, the trial session was scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. and, after waiting 40 minutes, the defense team was asked to enter the courtroom. They found a lawyer from a settler association filming during the judge's presence, which immediately drew the judge’s objection.
Deebeh said: "The judge saw the filming and assumed that it was being done by the defense team, so she got angry at the security in the court for allowing the recording, and postponed the session for one hour."
Lawyer Hamza Qutteineh... the prosecution only showed parts of the documents submitted to the defense and withheld some of them
Lawyer Hamza Qutteineh said: "The defense team for Sheikh Sabri obliged the prosecution to provide documents related to the defense in the "Mourning and Condolences" file, and he also confirmed that the prosecution hid some of the documents it presented to the defense, while the defense team demanded to obtain all the files without any defects.”
Lawyer Khaled Zabarqa: "A political case par excellence... and it interferes with the religious discourse"
Lawyer Khaled Zabarqa described the case as an extremely important political issue involving "a symbol of Jerusalem and one of the preachers of Al-Aqsa Mosque."
He said, "The charges are fabricated and fake, and were built by tampering with the evidence and the sheikh's sayings. What is happening is a direct intervention in the space of the Islamic religious discourse and turning the debate about religious principles and concepts into criminal charges."
Zabarqa noted that the settlement groups widely incited against the sheikh, including threats of assassination and publishing his home coordinates in Jerusalem.
He said: "We previously filed complaints against the settler groups due to incitement and calling for murder, but the Israeli authorities did not take any action."
He added that this case is unprecedented because it targets "a cleric and a preacher at Al-Aqsa" for mourning the dead and offering condolences, which, according to him, are not within the scope of legal debate or judicial jurisdiction.
Lawyer Hassan Jbareen: Indictments have reached unprecedented Levels
Lawyer Hassan Jbareen stated that police policy has shifted since the war, especially under the new administration of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. He mentioned that the number of indictments filed in the last two years matches the total number filed in the previous twenty years on charges of "incitement and support for terrorism."
He added: "We are facing a case targeting the most prominent Palestinian religious figure, and it is clear that the political aspect, not the criminal one, is the primary factor."
Jbareen pointed out that the indictment is based on three instances of condolences offered on three separate occasions, saying, "Since 1948, no sheikh has been indicted for offering condolences at a mourning gathering. If convicted, this will effectively prevent any sheikh from offering condolences for any deceased person, especially in politically sensitive cases."
Jbareen highlighted that the complaint against the sheikh was initiated by extremist Jewish groups, some of which are designated as "terrorist organizations" under Israeli law. He questioned, "Why were the complaints filed against rabbis who publicly incited murder and violence dismissed, while cases are only opened against Muslim religious figures?"
He described the issue as purely political under a far-right government, with law enforcement agencies led by Ben-Gvir, a Shin Bet security service headed by an extremist settler, and efforts to influence the work of the Attorney General.
A series of ongoing persecutions
Over the past two years, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri has endured a series of arbitrary actions including: “arrests, expulsions from Al-Aqsa Mosque, repeated summonses for investigation, and direct incitement by settlers and settlement groups to demolish his house and kill him.”
