Criminal8/15/2026

Portugal Calls for Investigation Into Threats Against Israeli Doctoral Student

Portugal’s Ministry of Higher Education asked the Attorney General to open a criminal investigation following complaints by Bar Harel, a doctoral student at the University of Coimbra. The student, who holds Israeli, American and Portuguese citizenship, reported antisemitic graffiti, death threats and an alleged physical assault.

Key facts

•Complainant: Bar Harel, a doctoral student at the University of Coimbra
•Period of the alleged events: July 2024 to May 2026
•Ombudsman’s decision: March 2026
•Government’s official letter: May 22
•Amount of the demand reported by the university: €3 million
•No case number or date for the opening of the investigation was provided

What the Student Complained About

According to the complaint, posters, stickers and graffiti targeting Jews, Israelis and Zionists appeared at several university faculties from July 2024 through May 2026. Hezbollah flags, pro-Hamas materials and a poster describing Yahya Sinwar as a hero were also reported. Harel claims that he received personal threats, including a wish for a “second Holocaust” upon his family, and that he was assaulted because of a small Israeli flag on his backpack. Following these events, he left his doctoral studies in computer engineering.

What Action the Authorities Requested

The Ministry of Higher Education submitted a request to Portuguese Attorney General Amadeu Guerra, as well as to the Central Criminal Investigation Unit and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the Coimbra District. The document details possible offenses: discrimination and incitement to hatred and violence, public glorification of a terrorist organization, threats and harm to physical integrity. The identities of the alleged offenders remain unknown. The source does not report the outcome of the investigation or the filing of indictments.

Allegations Against the University

In March 2026, the Portuguese Ombudsman determined that the university had shown marked passivity and had not taken steps to prevent or stop what was happening. According to the Ombudsman’s assessment, the threat of legal action if these matters were publicized also infringed the student’s fundamental rights. The university rejected the claim that it had failed to act, saying it had offered psychological and other forms of support, but argued that the complaints did not contain information that would allow them to be verified.

The Parties’ Positions

The university said the posters in question were not found on campus and that it had itself contacted the competent authorities. It also claimed that the student demanded payment of €3 million in exchange for dropping further proceedings; the university rejected the demand. The Israeli Embassy in Portugal welcomed the decision to investigate and called for the examination of other cases of antisemitism that had previously been reported to the authorities.

What this means for you

For Israelis and Jews studying outside Israel, this case shows that threats and discriminatory materials may be examined not only by an educational institution’s administration, but also by the country’s criminal law enforcement authorities. Specific details concerning the place, time, people involved and evidence of the incident may be highly significant. The authorities’ mere referral of the matter to the prosecution does not yet indicate that guilt has been established or that indictments have been filed.

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Case analysis based on court rulings