A court ruling in Germany declaring a political activity ban against prominent British-Palestinian surgeon and academic Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah unlawful has become final following the rejection of an appeal by Berlin authorities, reported Anadolu Agency.

The Berlin Higher Administrative Court announced that the Berlin state government’s appeal against the earlier decision of the Berlin Administrative Court had been dismissed.

The court said the state’s reasoning did not meet the necessary requirements for a review, making a further substantive examination unnecessary.

As a result, the administrative court’s decision is now legally binding.

In July 2025, the Berlin Administrative Court ruled that the Berlin Immigration Office had wrongly prohibited Abu Sittah from entering Germany to attend and speak at the Palestine Congress held on April 12, 2024.

The court found that the immigration office’s use of a provision in the Residence Act against Abu Sittah was unlawful.

It also noted that Abu Sittah had witnessed Israeli airstrikes in October and November 2023, emphasizing that his testimony before the International Criminal Court (ICC) should have been taken into account.

The Palestine Congress in Berlin, organized by pro-Palestinian activists, was shut down by police shortly after it began.

The three-day event had been expected to address Germany’s alleged complicity in Israel’s actions along with other topics.

Abu Sittah, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and rector of the University of Glasgow, had traveled to Gaza on Oct. 9, 2023, where he worked for 43 days during Israel’s airstrikes.

He had been invited to the Berlin conference to share his experiences in Gaza but was denied entry into Germany.