Sheikh Yusuf Albaz, the imam of the Great Mosque in Lod, on Thursday launched an indefinite hunger strike in protest of his continued detention until the end of the legal proceedings.
Albaz, who belongs to the northern faction of the Islamic movement, was arrested several times on suspicion of violent offenses and incitement, and in December 2021 was convicted of threats and assault using a cold weapon.
A lawyer who represents Albaz told the Arab Israeli news website Kul al-Arab that after the court on Wednesday night rejected his request to release him from detention, Albaz realized that there is no justice in the Israeli legal system when it comes to expressing a position in the Arab sector, and that this is an unjust move mean to shut people’s mouths.
In May of this year, the Cyber Department of the State Attorney's Office submitted an indictment to the Ramla Magistrates Court against Sheikh Albaz on two charges of incitement to violence, after he expressed support for rioters who attacked police officers on the Temple Mount during the month of Ramadan.
Albaz was also indicted last summer after publishing an inciting post against police officers.
In the post published by Albaz, he referred to an excerpt from a film in which two people are seen murdering traffic cops in revenge for being detained, writing: "The best way to deal with injustice."
Following the criticism of him, the sheikh published another post in which he wrote, "Who would have believed that MKs would be so intimidated by an American film and a person who expresses his opinion on the film. We will wait and see if it's some lunatics or...bankruptcy of the country. Time will tell the truth."