Microsoft terminates 4...

Microsoft has dismissed two more employees, Nisreen Jardat and Julius Shan, for joining a sit-in protest at President Brad Smith’s office. The demonstration, organized by the activist group No Azure for Apartheid, called on the company to sever its business ties with Israel and to provide reparations to Palestine. Their termination follows the firing of two other employees, Riki Fameli and Anna Hattle, taking the total number of workers dismissed to four.

According to Reuters, Fameli and Hattle were informed of their dismissal through voicemails, with Microsoft citing serious violations of company policies and conduct. The sit-in, the company said, created safety concerns for other employees. Activists, however, accused Microsoft of misrepresenting the protest, claiming that the involvement of security and police only heightened tensions. Seven people were arrested during the August 26 demonstration on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest.

Microsoft issued a statement after the first two terminations, explaining that the employees had taken part in unlawful entry into executive offices and were arrested on company grounds, conduct it described as inconsistent with its workplace expectations. The company has not yet released a statement regarding the dismissal of Jardat and Shan.

The protests were sparked by an investigation conducted by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call, which reported that Microsoft’s Azure software was being used by an Israeli military surveillance agency to store phone recordings and monitor Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Activists argue that this technology directly enables human rights violations.

At a press conference, members of No Azure for Apartheid said the firings were an attempt to silence employees. “We are here because Microsoft continues to provide Israel with the tools it needs to commit genocide while gaslighting its own workers,” said Hattle.
**This news was published on Times of India on 29th August, 2025.

 

 

 

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