The Free Lebanese Prisoners Campaign denounces in the strongest possible terms the ruthless campaign of state repression and Islamophobic persecution against Mohamad Hamad, a 24-year-old Lebanese-American activist and former student at Penn State University. We stand in unlimited support of Mohamad and demand his immediate release and the dropping of all charges against him. For over a year now Mohamad has been detained in a federal prison, without a conviction, without a trial date, on the basis of baseless charges of conspiracy and damaging zionist property, and he is threatened with up to 35 years in prison if convicted in the ongoing federal prosecution. He is the victim of one of the most disturbing cases of repression against the Palestine movement in the United States since 2023.
In November 2024, Mohamad and a Jewish anti-zionist activist were arrested for allegedly spray-painting anti-genocide graffiti on two zionist buildings in Pittsburgh. He spent six months under house arrest, a period during which even his parole officer attested to his exemplary behavior. In a desperate attempt to justify the huge amount of taxpayer money spent on surveillance, they carried out another violent raid on his parents’ home in April 2025 and then added a new charge that could put him behind bars for decades.
Mohamad was confronted with drones and helicopters equipped with thermal imaging cameras that followed him, illegal raids and searches on his house, undercover agents who shadowed his every step and more. And amid that constant intimidation and state repression, he feels the loneliness of a movement that is too afraid to take real action.
He writes: “That show of force was a message to every Arab and Muslim living in America: you will never be safe here, and if you ever decide to speak out about your oppression and go against the grain, you will be dealt with and made an example to all.” It is a deliberate campaign of intimidation intended to sow fear, silence people, and paralyze the solidarity movement.
The case of Mohamad Hamad is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader imperialist strategy to crush resistance, from U.S. sanctions against Palestinian and Palestine solidarity organizations and individuals to the zionist prisons where at least 36 Lebanese along with more than 9,000 Palestinian political prisoners are currently being held without a fair trial, subjected to torture and collective punishment.
The imperialist machine that places Palestinian organizations on so-called terrorist lists in an attempt to suppress solidarity and force submission is the same machine that has been genociding Gaza and torturing Lebanese and Palestinian political prisoners in zionist jails. It is the same machine that now tries to silence activists like Mohamad, those who refuse to bow, who take action and who, in an attempt to silence them, are met with repression and incarceration.
The goal of these sanctions and repression is not only to cripple activists financially and organizationally. It is also to divide our movement, sow fear and force us into isolation. We will not let that tactic work. We must respond to repression with loud voices of escalating resistance. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mohamad Hamad and all political prisoners for Palestine in U.S., zionist, imperialist and reactionary prisons. And we call on everyone to take action: sign the petition, write a letter to Mohamad, donate to his legal defense, organize actions, and help spread the word about his story.
We encourage supporters to donate to the Mohamad Hamad legal defense fund: https://chuffed.org/project/162662-justice-for-palestines-voice-help-mohamad-get-a-lawyer
Visit and support the Instagram page of the campaign: https://www.instagram.com/freemohamad
Send a letter to Mohamad:
Butler County Prison
C/O Mohamad Hamad #44683
PO Box 9156
Seminole, FL 33775-9156
(More on how to contact Mohamad: https://drive.proton.me/urls/W7BT4PHM00#MPuC9tR4CIJ8)
