Amnesty International Eulogizes Palestinian Terrorist Who Died in Prison as ‘Writer’

Protesters gather to hold a demonstration demanding the release of Walid Daqqa, a 60-year-
Wisam Hashlamoun/Anadolu Agency via Getty
Joshua Klein

International NGO Amnesty International is facing widespread mockery over a post eulogizing a deceased Palestinian terrorist as a mere “writer,” whose recent death in Israeli custody the group described as “a cruel reminder of Israel’s disregard for Palestinians’ right to life.”

In a post on Monday, the group addressed the death of Walid Daqqa, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails.

“The death in custody of Walid Daqqa, a 62-year-old Palestinian writer who was the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jails after 38 years of imprisonment, is a cruel reminder of Israel’s disregard for Palestinians’ right to life,” the post reads.

Daqqa was convicted of commanding a group that kidnapped, tortured, mutilated, and killed 19-year-old Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984. Tamam had his eyes gouged out and his genitals severed before being shot in the chest. 

Ortal Tamam, a niece of murdered Israeli soldier Moshe Thamam, holds a portrait of him during a sit-in protest against the release of Palestinian prisoners, in front of the prime minister’s residency in Jerusalem on December 26, 2013.  (MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

While Amnesty International, which focuses on human rights, advocated for Daqqah’s release, he died before his extended release date.

The organization’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns Erika Guevara-Rosas described as “heart-wrenching” the fact that Daqqah died in Israeli custody “despite the many calls for his urgent release on humanitarian grounds” following his cancer diagnosis. She is now demanding the return of his body for a “dignified” burial.

The post, which referred to Daqqah as merely a “Palestinian writer,” was met with swift backlash online. 

“Walid Daqqa died from cancer while serving a prison sentence for KIDNAPPING AND MURDERING 19 year old Israeli Moshe Tamam,” wrote the State of Israel’s official X account. “@amnesty, you have a disturbing obsession with glorifying sadistic murderers. Looking forward to your next tribute to Ted Bundy.”

“Here’s @amnesty trying to paint a sadistic psychopath as a saint,” wrote actor Michael Rapaport. “Walid Daqqa kidnapped, tortured, and murdered a 19-year-old named Moshe Tamam. He gouged out Moshe’s eyes, castrated him, and cut off his limbs before shooting him dead.” 

“This helps explain why Amnesty isn’t doing anything to free the hostages,” he added. “They’re firmly with the evil bastards who are torturing them.”

“@Amnesty’s handful of readers should know that Daqqa led a terror cell that tortured and killed 19 year old soldier Moshe Tamam. He was duly & correctly sentenced,” wrote Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY).

“How about a ‘cruel reminder’ of what Walid Daqqa did,” wrote Canary Mission. “On August 6, 1984, Daqqa along with 3 other terrorists, kidnapped 19-yr old Moshe Taman. Before they killed him, they gouged out his eyes and castrated him.”  

“@amnesty spewing Jew-hatred wrapped in lies,” the group added. 

“Amnesty is omitting key context: In 1984, Walid Daqqa kidnapped 19-year old Moshe Tamam, first trying to smuggle him to Syria,” wrote former State Department advisor on Iran Gabriel Noronha. “Instead, Walid and his collaborators gouged out Moshe’s eyes, castrated him, then shot him dead.”

“The fact that this abhorrent tweet is still online, eulogizing a barbaric murderer, suggests that @amnesty stands by its message,” wrote Deputy Consul-General of Israel in Shanghai Eytan Halon. “Remember this when it continues to pretend to be a neutral actor concerned about human rights.”

“Walid Daqqa was jailed for the abduction, gruesome torture, and murder of an Israeli teen,” wrote reporter Avi Yemini. “He was not in jail for writing – he only became a writer after his criminal conviction.” 

“Criminals die in jail all over the world,” he added. “And the world is a better place without this terrorist.”

“Walid Daqqa murdered 19 year old Moshe Tamam in 1984. Before killing him with a gunshot to the chest, he carved out his eyes, and cut off several of his organs, including genitals,” wrote the Hamas Atrocities account. “I guess these are all minor details for Amnesty. After all he was a ‘writer.’”

“We are living in a timeline where @AJEnglish will report that Walid Daqqa was responsible for the brutal murder and castration of a 19 year old Israeli, but @amnesty won’t,” wrote media watchdog Honest Reporting. “@Reuters doesn’t even give a passing mention until the 5th paragraph.”

“Amnesty International Glorifies Islamic Terrorist Walid Daqqa Who Kidnapped, Gouged the Eyes, Castrated 18 Year Old Moshe Tamam. This is what the Jews are up against,” wrote conservative personality Pamela Geller.

“A friendly reminder of who Walid Daqqa was – he wasn’t an innocent Palestinian who was caught up with bad people. He kidnapped, tortured , and mutilated IDF soldier Moshe Tamam only because Tamam was Jewish. Daqqa served a life prison sentence for so cruelly stealing Moshe’s life,” wrote Im Tirtzu, the largest grassroots Zionist movement in Israel. 

“Walid Daqqa was a sadistic psychopath serving a life term for the kidnapping, torture and murder of 19 yo Moshe Tamam,” wrote the popular X user The Persian Jewess. “He gouged out Moshe’s eyes, tortured him, mutilated him, dismembered him and castrated him before ending Moshe’s torment with a shot in the chest.”

“Not included in @amnesty’s post about cruelty and disregard for life…,” wrote the pro-Israel AIPAC group. “Walid Daqqa was part of a crew that kidnapped, tortured, and murdered Moshe Tamam, a 19-year-old Israeli.”

“This is who you’re memorializing,” wrote StopAntisemitism, a leading non-partisan organization combating antisemitism.

“This is 19-year-old Moshe Tamam. Walid Daqqa was behind Tamam’s kidnapping and murder. Tamam was tortured before being murdered and had his genitals cut off,” wrote Visegrad24. “Daqqa wasn’t a ‘writer.’ He was a murderer. Amnesty is siding with murderers, whether they are Russian or Palestinian.”

Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.

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