Israel’s designation of six Palestinian civil society organisations as “terrorist organisations” is an assault on human rights defenders, freedom of affiliation, and the suitable to public participation, and ought to be instantly revoked, the UN human rights chief mentioned Tuesday.
UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, mentioned the organisations are a few of the “most respected human rights and humanitarian teams within the occupied Palestinian territory” which have labored intently with the UN for many years, Anadolu Information Company stories.
“Claiming rights earlier than a UN or different worldwide physique will not be an act of terrorism, advocating for the rights of girls within the occupied Palestinian territory will not be terrorism and offering authorized support to detained Palestinians will not be terrorism,” Bachelet mentioned in an announcement.
She asserted that the designation choices beneath the Israeli Counter-Terrorism Legislation of 2016 are imprecise or unsubstantiated.
They included peaceable and bonafide human rights actions, resembling offering authorized support to Palestinians in detention, organising actions for ladies within the West Financial institution, and “selling steps towards Israel within the worldwide area.”
Limiting human rights work
The rights chief reiterated that counter-terrorism laws should not be utilized to respectable human rights and humanitarian work.
The banning of organisations should not be used to suppress or deny the suitable to freedom of affiliation, quash political dissent, silence unpopular views or restrict the peaceable actions of civil society.
The nationwide authorities answerable for proscribing organisations should comply totally with worldwide human rights obligations, mentioned the rights workplace.
These embrace respecting the rules of authorized certainty, proportionality, equality and non-discrimination.
“Limiting the house for respectable actions beneath worldwide regulation will not be solely mistaken however counter-productive, because it dangers limiting the house for peaceable dialogue,” mentioned Bachelet.
She famous that the organisations embrace a few of the essential companions of the UN Human Rights Workplace and so they face far-reaching penalties attributable to “this arbitrary choice”, as do those that fund and work with them.
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Bachelet mentioned: “And the essential work they carry out for 1000’s of Palestinians dangers being halted or severely restricted.”
The printed designation choices by the Israeli Minister of Defence state that the organisations have change into the “arm” of the Common Entrance for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
It says that they obtained monetary assets, which in apply reached the “(PFLP) terror exercise” or supported their actions.
The rights workplace mentioned there isn’t any proof introduced to assist these accusations, no data on the kind of alleged “PFLP terror exercise”, nor has any public course of been performed to ascertain the allegations.
The designations towards the six organisations on 19 October are the newest in a long-running collection of actions to undermine and limit human rights defenders and civil society organisations working for the human rights of Palestinians.
These embrace utilizing army laws to declare teams illegal, mentioned the rights workplace.
The organisations are Addameer Prisoner Assist and Human Rights Affiliation; Al Haq; Defence for Youngsters Worldwide —Palestine; Union of Agricultural Work Committees; Bisan Centre for Analysis and Growth and the Union of Palestinian Ladies’s Committees.
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