France has reversed its earlier decision and granted a national visa to Palestinian human rights activist Shawan Jabarin, following criticism from European lawmakers, a French MP said on Monday. Jabarin, director of the West Bank-based rights group Al-Haq, had previously been denied entry by French authorities despite being invited to attend a session of the European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee in Strasbourg.
“I take note that France has finally reversed its decision by granting a national visa to Shawan Jabarin,” French Green MEP Mounir Satouri said on the US social media company X Satouri called for full transparency over the initial refusal, urging authorities to clarify the reasons behind the blockage and to lift all remaining obstacles to issuing a Schengen visa.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawan_Jabarin and also https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/dc85d276-1bd7-4914-92f0-2d98f14fb05b
The initial refusal drew strong criticism from seven international NGOs, including Amnesty International, HRW and the International Federation for Human Rights, which described the move as “a clear attack” on human rights and a “worrying setback.” https://www.amnesty.org.au/france-decision-to-deny-entry-to-veteran-palestinian-human-rights-defender-a-blatant-assault-on-human-rights/
In a joint statement, the groups said the last-minute visa denial prevented Jabarin from attending meetings with the French Parliament, civil society organizations, and the Foreign Ministry, restricting his work as a human rights defender.
Al-Haq had earlier said the rejection undermined efforts to advocate for Palestinian rights and accountability, particularly amid ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza, warning that restricting access for rights defenders contributes to impunity.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/04/17/france-denial-of-entry-to-palestinian-activist-blocks-advocacy
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
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