Palestinian officials released Monday Reverend Johnny Shahwan in part due to pressure from religious and political figures.

Dr. Ramzi Khoury the head of the Higher Council for Churches in Palestine had a positive role in this case and in the reopening of the Al-Liqaa center in Beit Jala. The center and the arrest occurred early in March due to the social media frenzy that took place after a radical Jewish person published a photo taken with Rev Shahwan. The radical Israeli person had come to the center without being invited and forced himself to take the selfie with the Palestinian reverend to show somehow that things are well with Palestinians.

The center was reopened and new elections for Beit al Liqaa took place. Reverend Atallah Essawi was elected and Rev Shahwan sent congratulation from prison to the winning team.

The release of Rev. Shahwan was due to pressure not only from Dr. Khoury but also from Orthodox Bishop Atallah Hanna, Lutheran Bishop Sani Azar, Advocate Botrus Mansour head of the federation of evangelical Council in Jordan and the Holy Land, Member of Knesset Ayman Oden, Rev Munir Kakish and Nihad Salman president and vice president of the Evangelical Council in the Holy Land, Rev. David Rihani head of the Jordan Evangelical Council, Dr. Jack Sara president of the Bethlehem Bible College and others both local and international.

The Beit Al-Liqaa Center had issued a statement noting that the radical visitor had come to the center without being invited which led to the temporary closure of the center and the detention of Rev Shahwan based on article 130 of the Jordanian Penal Code still in effect which criminalizes actions that can hurt the national feelings. Eight requests to have Rev Shahwan released on bail were rejected.

The case was set for May 23^rd and it is not clear if the release was on bail and if the case against Rev Shahwan will continue

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