Following Adalah's appeal to Supreme Court: Haifa University withdraws decision to prevent Arab student clubs’ activities on campus
Today, 8 June 2014, Haifa University announced to the Supreme Court (SCT) that it is willing lift its recent ban on Arab student clubs’ activities, and allow them to hold public activities on campus to celebrate the end of the school year. This announcement followed Adalah's appeal to the SCT, filed on 5 June, against the Haifa District Court's decision to uphold the ban on activities of Arab student clubs’ of al-Jabha/Hadash, Balad, and Abnaa al-Balad imposed by the Dean of Students. The University also announced that it would wave court expenses imposed by the District Court, in return for Adalah’s withdrawal of the appeal.
In response to Haifa University’s announcement, Adalah Attorney Sawsan Zaher, who represents the Arab students’ clubs, stated that "although the university’s proposal does not fix the injustice that the Arab student clubs faced as a result of banning their activities, including the violation of their freedom of expression, we agree to the university’s proposal. We see that it meets the basic demands that we sought through our Supreme Court appeal, most importantly, to reinstate the Arab student clubs’ activities. It is very unfortunate that Haifa University forced us to go through this long and complex judicial process to reach a decision that meets the basic principles of freedom of expression."
On 18 May 2014, the Dean of Haifa University announced that the university would prohibit all Arab student clubs’ activities, due to their activities to commemorate Nakba Day without permission. Adalah represented the students in several proceedings before Haifa University tribunals, the Haifa District Court, and the Supreme Court.
Case Citation: Civil Appeal 3967/14. Masalha v. Haifa University
Read more:
Read Adalah PR, “Adalah appeals to Supreme Court against Haifa University’s decision to prohibit activities of Arab student clubs on campus”, 5 June 2014
Read Adalah PR, "Adalah petitions court against Haifa University’s decision to prohibit activities of Arab student clubs on campus", 01 June 2014
Read Adalah PR, “District Court cancels Haifa University’s decision to expel Arab students”, 20 May 2014
