Sheffield Palestine Solidarity campaign is honoured to bring Mahmoud Sarsak, Palestinian national football player and former political prisoner, to our city.
Mahmoud Sarsak is a talented midfielder for the Palestinian national football team whose career
was destroyed by three years detention without charge or trial in an Israeli jail .
His incarceration only ended in July 2012 after a three month hunger strike and an international outcry on his behalf by individuals and organisations including former French international and Manchester United star Eric Cantona, FIFA President Sepp Blatter and the international professional footballers’ federation FIFPro.
After his release last year Mahmoud released a statement about his ordeal which you can find here
In April-June this year the sportsman and former detainee is touring Europe to thank those who campaigned for his release and to highlight the experience of Palestinian prisoners and of Palestinians dealing with discrimination in sport and in other areas of their working and personal lives.
His tour in the UK from mid-May to the end of June is hosted by Red Card Israeli Racism, a European wide coalition protesting against UEFA’s decision to allow Israel to host the under 21 Football tournament. The tour will take him to London, the northwest and northeast of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where he will meet footballers, fans and officials, members of parliament, student and faith communities and members of anti-racist, human rights organisations.
Mahmoud will be available for interviews during his stay in Sheffield on Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30thMay. Contact: Musheir El Farra: 07715048821.
See Red Card Israeli Racism http://rcir.org.uk/ for further details about the campaign