.png)
Protect Journalist and Witness of Genocide Mustafa Ayyash
Mustafa Ayyash has long been a victim of political persecution and intimidation by the Zionist entity to silence him. The arrest at Schiphol on September 19 is one in a series of attempts to silence Mustafa's journalism. Mustafa lost forty family members in a bombing by the occupation since late 2023.[1] Nevertheless, Mustafa continued to publish footage of the Zionist entity's crimes. The US and UK then placed him on the terrorist sanctions list on a flimsy charge.[2] Consequently, authorities in Austria (where he lived at the time) conducted a house search, seizing his electronics and deleting his channels. Mustafa was not arrested, NEVER received an indictment, and was not summoned for a court hearing. When he landed at Schiphol on September 19, 2025, he was arrested and placed in detention to assess an extradition request from Austria. Mustafa has been in Dutch detention ever since.
Join the Action
An Injustice That Affects Us All
Mustafa's case does not stand alone. It symbolizes the fight for human rights and freedom of expression. By speaking out, we defend not only Mustafa, but also the values that are dear to us. Make your voice heard and become part of the change.
Who is Mustafa?
Mustafa Moien Ayyash (1992) is a Palestinian journalist and founder-director of Gaza Now, a leading media channel that has published large-scale footage, data, and reports from Gaza since 2023/2024. Gaza Now now has more than seven million subscribers and focuses on news about Palestine, Jerusalem, Gaza, and the occupied territories. Despite losing dozens of family members in bombings in 2023, Ayyash continued to publish and archive. His work brought global attention to the reality of violence in Gaza, but also made him a target of political framing.
In March 2024, the US and UK placed him and Gaza Now on the so-called 'terrorist list' with accusations of Hamas-linked fundraising. Austrian units raided his home, seized equipment, and detained him for several days without charge. Later, his home address was leaked, making him even more vulnerable to actions by Israeli intelligence. On September 19, 2025, he was arrested upon arrival at Schiphol Airport, supposedly at the request of Austria ΓÇö even though there are no criminal charges against him. This threatens extradition to Austria or even Israel, putting his life in serious danger. Ayyash emphasizes that he is independent, unaffiliated with any political party, and part of an integrated media team. Since October 7, 2023, he has been deliberately targeted by Israeli and Western agencies because of his journalistic work and outspoken support for the Palestinian cause.
The Case
The case against Mustafa is complex and raises fundamental questions about legality and the political motives behind it. It appears that a label of terrorism has been placed on him based on flimsy evidence, primarily driven by the Zionist entity's desire to silence him.
The Process
In Austria, a house search took place where his equipment was seized, but no formal charges followed, and no hearings were ever held. Mustafa was not arrested and was allowed to await the alleged process in freedom ΓÇô a sign that the suspicions are legally weak. The proceedings are characterized by delays and a total lack of transparency.
The Accusations
The accusations against Mustafa are vague, politically motivated, and lack concrete evidence. Both the American and British sanction lists of 2024 suggest ties to Hamas-linked fundraising, but hard evidence is missing. The label of 'terrorism' seems primarily a tool to silence critical journalism about Palestine.
The Consequences
Based on these weak suspicions, Mustafa is now being deprived of his freedom. His freedom of movement is severely restricted, and his journalistic work is effectively sabotaged. In addition, his imprisonment has major consequences for his health and burdens his family, who were already heavily affected by the bombings in Gaza.
Timeline of Injustice
In the Media
- Nov 8, 2025 ΓÇö Mustafa Ayyash: Palestinian journalist in European jails ΓÇö TheCanary.co article about the Palestinian journalist in European prisons.
- Oct 21, 2025 ΓÇö Palestinian journalist Mustafa Ayash challenges extradition to Austria ΓÇö Trouw.nl article about the challenge to the extradition.
- Dec 14, 2023 ΓÇö UN report on the killing of Mustafa Ayyash's family in Gaza ΓÇö Qualified by the UN as a murder of journalists and/or family members of journalists
- Sep 21, 2025 ΓÇö Palestinian journalist Mustafa Ayash arrested at Schiphol ΓÇö Volkskrant publication about the arrest of Mustafa
- Sep 22, 2025 ΓÇö Palestinian journalist held longer in the Netherlands ΓÇö NRC article about Mustafa's detention in the Netherlands
Sources
Tijdlijn van Onrecht
2006
Gaza Now is founded and broadcasts entertainment and news via Nilesat. During the start of the genocide, Gaza Now becomes a leading media outlet exposing the crimes of the occupation.
May 2021
Facebook imposes shadowban measures on Gaza Now
May 2022
Gaza Now is removed from Twitter Again, note the influence of biased media controlled by Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
October 18, 2023
Washington Post and Atlantic Council accuse Gaza Now of 'Video Jihad' The Washington Post and Atlantic Council may sound like objective sources. But in reality, these are lobbying groups and biased outlets owned by Jeff Bezos (who bought The Washington Post in 2013 for $250 million).
Late October 2023
Telegram makes Gaza Now channel inaccessible via Play Store and App Store At the start of the genocide, even Telegram participates in censorship against Gaza Now.
November 2023
Gaza Now grows from 344,000 users to 1.9 million users. Despite all measures against Gaza Now, it continued to grow because they kept sharing footage directly from the ground in Gaza.
November 22, 2023
40 Family members of Mustafa Ayyash are killed by bombings. The attack on the Ayyash family home in the Nuseirat refugee camp was documented by the UN. It is seen as a targeted attack on press freedom.
March 27, 2024
UK and US place Mustafa Ayyash on the sanctions list.
April 18, 2024
Austrian authorities raid the Ayyash family home. At 2:00 a.m., Austrian authorities storm the house unannounced. They assault Mustafa and his family, seize electronics, shut down social media accounts, interrogate Mustafa, and later release him. No further investigation is conducted. Mustafa continues to travel in and out of Austria multiple times between April 2024 and April 2025 without issue.
August 6, 2025
Austria submits a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for the extradition of Mustafa Ayyash without notifying him or his lawyer.
September 19, 2025
Mustafa Ayyash is arrested at Schiphol Airport by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and detained in the Schiphol Judicial Complex.
September 22, 2025
Mustafa is transferred from JC Schiphol to JC Zaandam.
September 27, 2025
Mustafa visibly weak on video footage Video footage shows him trying to stand by the window of his cell but collapsing immediately. He complains of severe abdominal pain and general body pain. According to prison sources, his cell is marked with a red label and placed under additional camera surveillance, increasing his isolation.
Late September 2025
Unannounced transfer to another prison At this moment, all contact with Mustafa is lost. His lawyer, his brother ΓÇö no one can tell us where he is or how he's doing. Later, it turns out that on 30-09-2025, Mustafa Ayyash was found in deteriorated condition in his isolation cell by prison staff. Hours later, he was transferred to PI Krimpen aan de IJssel, where he was evaluated, and admission to Vught was requested ΓÇö he was transferred there the following day.
October - November 2025
Mustafa spends most of this detention period in complete isolation.
November 11, 2025
Extradition request is approved by the Court in Amsterdam.
November 17, 2025
Mustafa is transported to Austria by land. In Germany, his condition deteriorates severely, requiring transfer by ambulance from Germany to Austria. Eyewitnesses report that Mustafa appeared extremely weak during transport. His health situation continues to worsen under detention conditions.
November 20ΓÇô21, 2025
The Austrian Court decides to extend Mustafa's pre-detention by 14 days. Despite no new charges or evidence, the Austrian Court prolongs the pre-trial detention period.
December 5, 2025
The Austrian Court decides to extend Mustafa's pre-detention by 30 days. No new evidence was presented to justify this extension. Mustafa is now being held based on the same evidence and information that existed in April 2024, when he was allowed to await the investigation in freedom. Since then, the case has remained stagnant with no new evidence or developments. Mustafa has now been without any outside contact for over 30 days and has not received any visits except from his lawyer since September 19, 2025.