Dareen Tatour facts for kids
Dareen Tatour (Arabic: دارين طاطور, born on April 16, 1982, in Reineh) is a Palestinian poet, photographer, and social media activist. She writes in Arabic, her first language. In 2018, an Israeli court found her responsible for some social media posts, including a video with her poem. She spent five months in prison because the court said her posts encouraged trouble and supported a banned group. Later, in 2019, a higher court overturned the decision about her poem, saying it wasn't a direct call for action. However, the decisions about her other posts remained.
In 2019, Dareen Tatour received a special award called the Oxfam Novib/PEN Award for Freedom of Expression. This award honors people who bravely stand up for their right to speak freely.
Dareen Tatour's Court Case
Dareen Tatour faced a legal challenge because of things she shared online. At first, she said she didn't write the posts or the poem. But later, with a new lawyer, she admitted she did. She then argued that her poem had been translated incorrectly.
The Court's Decision
The people bringing the case against her pointed out that she first denied writing the posts. They said that someone who is sure about their intentions would always admit to what they published.
Dareen's lawyers argued that her court case was meant to scare and silence Palestinians in Israel. They also said that making poetry a crime would harm the rich culture of society.
On May 3, 2018, the court found her responsible for the posts. Then, on July 31, 2018, she was sentenced to five months in prison. She was released in September 2018.
Standing Up for Artistic Freedom
In May 2019, a higher court, the Nazareth District Court, looked at her case again. This court overturned the decision about her poem. They said the poem did not contain clear words that directly called for harmful actions.
The court also noted that Dareen Tatour was known as a poet. They stated that the freedom to express oneself is even more important when it involves artistic and creative expression. This means artists have a special right to share their ideas.
