Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal released after Israeli detention
Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has been released after nearly 24 hours in Israeli detention. Ballal was taken into custody following an attack by Israeli settlers near his home in the occupied West Bank.
His co-director, Basel Adra, confirmed that Ballal was granted bail and has been taken to a hospital for medical treatment before returning home.
Ballal, who resides in the occupied West Bank, recounted that Israeli settlers and soldiers attacked his home on Monday night, beating him and threatening him with firearms. According to him, soldiers fired three warning shots before detaining him. While in custody, he was blindfolded and placed beneath a cold air conditioner, while soldiers mocked his Oscar win.
His arrest followed a night of violence near Susya, where settlers vandalized homes, slashed car tires, and damaged water tanks. Ballal's co-director, Basel Adra, said he witnessed around 15 settlers attacking Palestinian homes and cars while throwing rocks at residents. He said Ballal, injured during the assault, locked himself inside his home to protect his family before seeking emergency medical help.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the violence began when “terrorists hurled rocks at Israeli citizens, damaging their vehicles,” leading to “mutual rock-hurling between Palestinians and Israelis.” However, activists, including American volunteer Josh Kimelman, disputed this account, stating that Palestinian shepherds were initially harassed by settlers, escalating into mob violence. Kimelman, who arrived to assist, described how settlers attacked his colleagues, hitting them with sticks and throwing rocks at their vehicle.
Ballal, a well-known journalist and activist, has faced threats from settlers before. His co-director, Adra, expressed disappointment that global recognition had not improved conditions in the region. He noted that their village alone had suffered 45 attacks this year, leaving residents in constant fear.
Ballal was released on bail but was taken to a hospital for further medical treatment before returning home.
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Unemployed 'youngsters like cockroaches' become media, activists; attack system: CJI
New Delhi (PTI): Likening some unemployed youngsters to cockroaches, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Friday said they go on to "become" media, social media and RTI activists and start attacking the system.
The comments came while a bench of CJI Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was pulling up a lawyer for "pursuing" a senior advocate designation. It said there were already "parasites" in society who attack the system and asked the petitioner whether he wanted to join hands with them.
"The entire world may be eligible to become senior (advocate), but at least you are not entitled," the bench told the petitioner lawyer.
A visibly anguished CJI observed that if the Delhi High Court would confer senior advocate designation upon the petitioner, the apex court would set that aside seeing his professional conduct.
The CJI also referred to the kind of language used by the petitioner on Facebook.
"There are already parasites of society who attack the system and you want to join hands with them?" he said.
"There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment or have any place in profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists and they start attacking everyone," he said.
The bench also asked the petitioner whether he did not have any other litigation.
"Is this the conduct of a person who seeks to be designated as a senior advocate?" the bench asked.
It said senior advocate designation is something that is conferred on a person and is not to be pursued.
"You are pursuing it. Does it look proper?" the top court said, asking whether a senior advocate designation was a status symbol to be kept ornamentally.
It also observed that it wanted to ask the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to verify the degrees of many of those who were wearing black robes as there were serious doubts over the genuineness of their degrees.
It said the Bar Council of India would never do anything on this issue as they "need their votes".
The petitioner apologised to the bench and sought permission to withdraw the petition. The bench allowed the withdrawal of the petition.
