# Abdulrahman Thaher

Abdulrahman Asad Thaher, (Arabic: عبد الرحمن ظاهر, romanized: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ẓāhir) is a Palestinian-Jordanian actor, director, satirical screenwriter, journalist, human rights defender and architect.

## Life and career

Abdulrahman Thaher was born in 1982 in the United Arab Emirates, coming from a Palestinian family with roots in Nablus, located in the northern West Bank of Palestine.
He has held significant positions, including the role of Production Department Manager at Wattan TV, Director of International Production at the Media Center of An-Najah National University, and Senior Producer at Smalink Media Production Company in Beirut. Thaher has produced a variety of television programs for Jordan's Roya TV channel and Al Araby TV channel in London, among others.
His portfolio includes numerous series, films, theatrical productions, documentaries, and journalistic investigations. He has also written, directed, and performed in several satirical and critical series, such as Fenjan Albalad, Sukaj," and "In the Presence of Justice." which are noted for their black comedy style.
Due to his politically bold and critical works, he has faced prosecution and arrests.

## Trial and Arrests
### Arrest by the Palestinian Authority

In August 2018, Abdulahman Thaher was arrested at the Palestinian border crossings upon his return from Lebanon to Palestine, following an immediate arrest warrant issued against him due to his satirical and critical television programs produced outside of Palestine. He was subsequently released by the Palestinian Public Prosecution due to the absence of a definitive indictment.
In August 2020, Thaher was detained by the Palestinian Preventive Security during the night as he was leaving An-Najah National University. He was subjected to solitary confinement and intensive interrogation for a period of one and a half months on allegations of defaming the Palestinian Authority through his television work.

### Media hype and calls for release

Numerous Palestinian activists, human rights defenders, and journalists held strong protests against the Palestinian Authority's arrest of Thaher in August and September 2020. They demonstrated against the poor conditions of his detention and his declining health, gathering outside the court in Nablus and the Palestinian Prime Minister's office in Ramallah. Thaher's arrest sparked widespread discussion on social media and in Palestinian, Arab, and international media. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and various international human rights groups monitored the situation. At that time, the Palestinian Authority faced accusations of infringing on freedom of expression and fabricating charges against political activists and journalists. This pressure led to Thaher's conditional release in September 2020, but his trial continued under the Cybercrime Law.

### Arrest in Israel

In October 2020, just a few weeks after Thaher was released from Palestinian Authority prisons, the IDF arrested him at his home in Nablus. They questioned him about his television work outside of Palestine. A month later, an Israeli court ruled to release him.

### Acquitted of all charges

In January 2022, a Nablus court sentenced Thaher to three months in prison for defaming the Palestinian Authority. The ruling sparked strong reactions from journalists and activists, leading to the intervention of international human rights organizations. They urged the Palestinian Authority to protect Thaher and other journalists, and called for an end to violations against the political opposition. As a result, the sentence was suspended while Thaher’s legal team appealed the decision. Ultimately, the Court of Appeal ruled in Thaher’s favor, acquitting him of all charges after a two years of trial.

## Filmography
### TV series

| Year | Series Title | Filming Location | Channels | IMDB |
| 2013 | Fenjan Albalad Season 1 | State of Palestine | Roya TV channel | Fenjan Albalad |
| 2013 | In the presence of justice | State of Palestine | Wattan TV | In the presence of Justice |
| 2014 | Fenjan Albalad Season 2 | Jordan | Roya TV channel | Fenjan Albalad |
| 2015 | Fenjan Albalad Season 3 | Jordan | Al Araby TV channel | Fenjan Albalad |
| 2016 | Sukaj | Jordan | Al Araby TV channel | Sukaj |
| 2017 | Abu Saleh Animation | Jordan  Lebanon | Web TV | Abu Saleh (Animation) |
| 2020 | What's up | State of Palestine | NBC TV | |

### TV Programs

| Year | Program title | Location | Channels | IMDB |
| 2012 | The other opinion | State of Palestine | Wattan TV | |
| 2013 | Upside down | State of Palestine | Roya TV channel | |
| 2014 | Zinko | State of Palestine  Jordan | Roya TV channel | Zinko |
| 2015 | Ghabash Season 1 | Jordan | Al Araby TV channel | Ghabash |
| 2015 | Archive | Jordan | Al Araby TV channel | |
| 2016 | Ghabash Season 2 | Jordan | Roya TV channel | Ghabash |
| 2016 | Mute | State of Palestine | Roya TV channel | MUTE |
| 2017 | Hilal Mawwal | Lebanon | Al Quds Channel | |
| 2018 | Elak Aw Ladeeb | Lebanon | Al Quds Channel | |
| 2019 | Ghabash Season 3 | State of Palestine | Roya TV channel | Ghabash |
| 2020 | Accordingly | State of Palestine | NBC TV | |
| 2021 | Trick | State of Palestine | Roya TV channel | Trick |

### Cinema

* Actor in the film "Paradise Now", directed by Hany Abu-Assad.

### Theatrical shows

* The main character in the play "There on the Other Shore", directed by Fathy Abdel Rahman, won the 11th Alexandria Festival for Arab Youth Award in 2008.