Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a British Palestinian doctor who volunteered in Gaza hospitals during the first weeks of Israel’s war, says he was denied entry to Germany after being interrogated at the airport and banned from participating in a conference where he was scheduled to give testimony of his experience in the Strip.

“Upon arrival, I was stopped at the passport office, escorted to the basement of the airport and questioned for around 3.5 hours,” Abu-Sittah told the Middle East Eye.

Abu-Sittah said that following the interrogation, German authorities said he was not allowed to enter the country and warned him of a fine or up to one year in prison should he have tried to link via Zoom or Facetime with the event.

“This is exactly what accomplices to a crime do. They bury the evidence, and they silence or harass or intimidate the witnesses,” Abu-Sittah said.