Posts Tagged ‘Israel’
September 14, 2014
The Israeli group of human rights defenders, B’Tselem, has been awarded the 2014 Stockholm Human Rights Award by the International Legal Assistance Consortium, the Swedish Bar Association and the International Bar Association [for more information on the Stockholm Human Rights Award see: http://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/award/stockholm-human-rights-award].
The press release of 14 September states: “Promoting human rights standards from inside one’s country requires an unwavering willingness to endure criticism from within, regardless of potential repercussions. Maintaining integrity and dignity is at the core of human rights defense. B’Tselem has shown international light on human rights violations in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, providing a voice to victims and calling for accountability. It is commendable that B’Tselem has so tirelessly fought to uphold human rights in an environment where its criticism has not always been welcome.”
via BTselem awarded the 2014 Stockholm Human Rights Award | BTselem.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: award, B’Tselem, digest of human rights awards, Human Rights Defenders, Israel, Israeli-occupied territories, Palestinian people, stockholm human rights award, Swedish Bar Association, True Heroes Films
May 18, 2014
On 8 May 2014 human rights defender and lawyer Ms Shireen Essawi began a hunger strike after learning of the postponement of her trial for nine months and a day. She is charged with cooperating with actors who are working against the state of Israel. Shireen Essawi is a human rights lawyer who has participated in monitoring and documenting human rights violations committed against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, especially children, women, and prisoners from the Gaza Strip. The human rights defender also reported on practices adopted by Israeli authorities for Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli jails that she believes violate human rights, such as preventing visits by lawyers.
The postponement of her trial on 7 May 2014 follows several court appearances by the human rights defender since her arrest on 6 March 2014. It is reported that under Israeli law, a trial may be suspended and detention can continue upon the condition that a final judgment and sentence is issued within nine months and a day of the adjournment. Shireen Essawi began her hunger strike out of solidarity with Palestinian prisoners, and has declared she will continue it in protest at the adjournment of her trial. The human rights defender was arrested at her home in Jerusalem as part of a wave of arrests targeting lawyers. Her colleagues have since been released on bail, pending trials.
Front Line Defenders expresses its concern at the postponement of the trial and continued detention of Shireen Essawi, which is solely related to her peaceful and legitimate human rights work, in particular concerning the rights of Palestinians and Arab Israelis.
via: http://palsolidarity.org/2014/05/hunger-strike-by-human-rights-defender-ms-shireen-essawi-as-trial-postponed-by-one-year/
Posted in human rights | Leave a Comment »
Tags: detention, Front Line (NGO), Human Rights Defenders, human rights lawyer, hungerstrike, Israel, Palestine, release on bail, Shireen Essawi, woman human rights defender
February 26, 2014
On 25 February 2014 the International Middle East Media Centre [IMEMC] carries a report from the Palestinian Solidarity Foundation for Human Rights (SFHR) that Israeli soldiers kidnapped on Tuesday its lawyer and its researcher, after the army violently invaded their homes in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
The lawyer is Fares Riyad Abu al-Hasan and the researcher Ahmad Hamed al-Beetawy. The NGO said dozens of soldiers invaded the home of Abu al-Hasan, in the Rojeeb Housing Projects area, east of Nablus, and kidnapped him after violently searching his home causing property damage. The soldiers detonated the door of Abu al-Hasan’s home, invading the place and terrifying the family. They also interrogated Abu al-Hasan’s father for more than an hour, and confiscated documents and files. Abu al-Hasan was moved to the Petah Tikva interrogation facility. The soldiers also detonated the front door of the home of Ahmad al-Beetawy, and invaded the property in the Dahia area, south of Nablus, searched it for more than an hour and kidnapped him.
The foundation said that the soldiers also invaded its office in al-Isra’ building, in the center of Nablus city, and confiscated computers and files after violently searching the property.
via Two Palestinian Human Rights Defenders Kidnapped In Nablus – International Middle East Media Center.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Abu al-Hasan, Ahmad Hamed al-Beetawy, arbitrary arrest, destruction, Fares Riyad Abu, Fares Riyad Abu al-Hasan, Human Rights Defenders, International Middle East Media Centre, Israel, Israeli Defence Forces, kidnapping, lawyers, Nablus, Nablus city, Palestine, Solidarity Foundation for Human Rights
February 19, 2014
reports that on 6 February 2014, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Border Police forcibly evicted the entire Palestinian village of Ein-Hijleh and declared the village a closed military zone. During the eviction 19 people, including human rights defenders and journalists were temporarily detained whilst at least 32 villagers were injured. Several of the detained were subject to physical aggression. Amongst the 19 detained were human rights defenders Issa Amro, Mahmoud Zawhara, Abdullah Abu Rahmeh, Bassem Tamimi and Mohammad Al Khatib.
The forced displacement follows a series of raids and attacks which have targeted the local community as well as human rights defenders who peacefully opposed the eviction. The campaign began on 31 January 2014, when the IDF blocked access to the village and prevented the delivery of water and food supplies. On 3 February 2014, the IDF attempted to gain entry to the village. On 4 February 2014 a renewed attempt to enter the village included the use of tear gas against peaceful protesters, but was hindered by locals forming a human chain.
Front Line Defenders has previously issued urgent appeals on Issa Amro: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/IssaAmro.
see also: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/five-un-experts-urge-israel-to-stop-harassment-of-human-rights-activist-issa-amro/
Posted in Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Abdullah Abu Rahmeh, Ein-Hijleh, forced displacement, forced evictions, Front Line (NGO), Human Rights Defenders, IDF, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Israeli Defence Forces, Issa Amro, journalists, Mahmoud Zawhara, Palestine, Palestinian Human Rights Defender, Palestinian village
February 10, 2014
(Jennifer Lopez performing for the leader Turkmenistan. (c) Agence France-Presse/Igor Sasin)
In quite a few earlier posts in this blog I have drawn attention to stars and celebrities who either support dictators or simply do not care that their actions do. So, I was quite happy to see a thoughtful piece by Jo Biddle of Agence France-Presse on 9 February 2014 analyzing this issue a bit more in-depth, with actress Scarlett Johansson as the “poster girl of Israeli apartheid”, Dennis Rodman in North Korea, and Kim Kardashian expressing her love of Bahrain. I would add, Mariah Carey who thinks nothing of singing for Gaddafi or the Angolan President, while Jennifer Lopez (picture above) did the same in Turkmenistan.
The author rightly states that when celebrities wander into complex foreign policy issues, it can be a minefield, leaving diplomats and human rights campaigners scrambling for damage control. The article mentions exceptions such as Bob Geldof, Bono, George Clooney or Angelina Jolie Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in HRF, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 9 Comments »
Tags: Agence France-Presse, Angelina Jolie, Angola, Bahrain, Barbara Hendricks, Bob Geldof, Bono, Brian Dooley, celebrities, concert, Dennis Rodman, diplomacy, Gaddafi, George Clooney, HRF, human rights, Human Rights First, human rights violations, Israel, Jennifer Lopez, Jo Biddle, Kim Kardashian, Loreen, Mariah Carey, Muammar Gaddafi, North Korea, Scarlett Johansson, singers, solidarity action, star power, stars, Sting, Turkmenistan
December 21, 2013
On 19 December 2013 it was announced that the AJCs Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a unique volume entitled: “The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: Conscience for the World”. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in books, human rights, OHCHR, UN | 1 Comment »
Tags: Advancement of Human Rights, American Jewish Committee, Felice Gaer, High Commissioner, High Commissioner for Human Rights, human rights violations, Israel, Jacob Blaustein Institute, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Human Rights, Martinus Nijhoff, Navi Pillay, New York, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations
December 18, 2013
Today, 18 December 2013, Scoop News brings the sad news that Palestinian Human Rights Defender Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj, Palestinian psychiatrist and Commissioner-General of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens’ Rights, passed away in Gaza a few hours ago. Born in Beersheva, Palestine on 27 April 1944, Dr El-Sarraj arrived with his family in Gaza in 1948 as a refugee. He grew up to become the first psychiatrist to practice in Gaza, beginning in 1977. Dr El-Sarraj went on to found and direct the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme [GCMHP], which he established in 1990 to promote the mental well-being of three major target groups in the Palestinian community: children, women, and victims of organized violence and torture. “We strongly believe that there is a correlation between human rights and mental health, because sound mental health cannot be gained under violent circumstances, and human rights will not be respected in a society exposed to ongoing trauma,” states the organisation’s strategy document. His human rights work was not without cost – in 1996 he was arrested and tortured for condemning torture and violation of human rights by the Palestinian Authorities. In 1998 he received the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders [MEA], in 1997 the Physicians for Human Rights Award, and in 2010 the Swedish labour movement’s Olof Palme Prize. In the same year, Dr El-Sarraj was jointly awarded the Juan José López-Ibor prize in psychiatry, along with Professor Jules Angst, in recognition of his contribution to advancement of the rights and dignity of people with a mental illness, and his scientific research. Other notable activities include being a consultant to the Palestinian delegation at the Camp David 2000 Summit, and his appearance as an expert witness before the United Nations-mandated Goldstone Commission on the war crimes committed during Israel’s 2008-9 military offensive “Operation Cast Lead.” His evidence on the long-term psycho-social impacts of the conflict on civil society in Gaza was quoted in the final report. The light that Iyad El-Sarraj shone into some of the darkest corners of Palestine can not be dimmed by his death. “You are the window through which I can breathe,” one of his patients once told him. His legacy of hope, and a legion of Palestinians both taught and inspired by him, will continue his important work. During his acceptance speech at the MEA ceremony he said, “Receiving this award reminded me of one of the persons I left behind in prison. He said to me: ‘Don’t forget me… please… don’t forget me’.” The best we can do now, is the same for El Sarraj: Don’t forget him… please… don’t forget him!
via Palestinian Human Rights Defender Dies at 69 | Scoop News.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, MEA | 1 Comment »
Tags: Camp David 2000, death, Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj, El-Sarraj, Eyad El-Sarraj, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Goldstone, human rights awards, Human rights defender, illegal detention, Israel, Juan José López-Ibor, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, MEA, MEA 1998, mental-health, Olof Palme Prize, Palestine, Palestinian community, Palestinian Human Rights Defender, Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens’ Rights, Physicians for Human Rights Award, Psychiatry, torture, UN, victims of torture
October 29, 2013
Amnesty International – among a plethora of NGOs – urges Israel to drop charges against Palestinian lawyer Anas Barghouti (24 October 2013). It says that Israeli must drop all charges against the Palestinian human rights lawyer released on bail last night. Anas Barghouti, a lawyer with the Addameer Association for Prisoner Support and Human Rights, was released on bail on the orders of a military judge at Ofer Military Court yesterday because confessions from other detainees submitted as evidence failed to prove he is a security threat. Barghouti had been arrested by the Israeli army more than a month ago 15 September, at a checkpoint north of Bethlehem in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Nine days later he was charged with “membership in the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine” – an organisation which Israel has banned – and “leadership of a committee to organise demonstrations”. Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Director Philip Luther said:“The release of Anas Bargouthi is positive news but he should have never been detained and charged in the first place.“ Barghouti’s arrest is part of a pattern of harassment by the Israeli authorities of Palestinian human rights organisations and activists in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, with individuals suffering arbitrary detentions, restrictions on movement, and raids of homes and offices. For example, last December Israeli security forces raided the offices of Addameer and two other Palestinian NGOs in Ramallah, seizing computers, work files and equipment and ransacking the premises. Addameer’s chair, Abdullatif Ghaith, a resident of East Jerusalem, has been banned by Israel’s military from entering other parts of the occupied West Bank or travelling abroad since 2011. Meanwhile, on 23 September, a week after the Bargouthi’s arrest, Israeli forces also arrested Samer Arbid, Addameer’s accountant. He was placed in custody for questioning until 21 October and then given a four-month administrative detention order – a military order without charge or trial which can be extended indefinitely. Yet another activist from Addameer – Ayman Nasser – was arrested in October last year and charged with offences that included membership of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and carrying out activities in support of Palestinian prisoners. He was convicted of these charges a month later and spent a year in prison after a trial by military court, being released earlier this week. In detention Nasser told his lawyer that he had been tortured during interrogation following his arrest. He said he was interrogated for up to 20 hours every day and that during the interrogations he was kept in a stress position on a chair with his hands tied behind his back.
via AIUK : Israel must drop charges against Palestinian lawyer Anas Barghouti.
Posted in AI, human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Addameer, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights, Amnesty International, Anas Barghouti, anti-terrorist laws, Barghouti, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, illegal detention, Israel, Palestinian people, Palestinian territories, Ramallah, West Bank
October 22, 2013
Dina Goor was an elite model. She was an interior designer in Israel and much more. Dina’s arrival at the Qalandiya checkpoint a decade ago in her grey Volkswagen Golf, changed her and the human rights movement in Israel. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Dina Goor, Human right, Human Rights and Liberties, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Defenders Fund, Israel, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israelis, Machsom Watch, occupation, woman human rights defender, Yesh Din
October 14, 2013
Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip, protest in support of executing criminals in Gaza City, on October
9, 2013. (AFP/Mohammed Abed)
Human Rights defenders at an Abolish the Death Penalty meeting in Gaza were confronted with a demonstration of death penalty supporters days after Hamas hanged a convicted murderer. “The death penalty is Islamic law – implement it against all criminals,” one banner read. Mohammed Shurab, spokesman for Gaza’s “Families of the Victims” movement, urged “the government in Gaza to continue carrying out the death sentence against those who are killing our sons.” But speakers at the conference said the death penalty went against both international humanitarian law and the principles of Islam. “Islam doesn’t allow the death penalty or the killing of anyone,” said Suleiman Awda, a lecturer in Islamic law at Gaza’s Al-Azhar University. “It is a religion of forgiveness.” This position has been defended rigorously by several scholars including MEA 2009 Laureate Emad Baghi.
UN experts warned it was “not possible to correct a mistake… There’s no going back once the death penalty has been carried out.”
Last week’s hanging was the first time since July 2012 that Hamas has carried out capital punishment for murder. But on June 22, the Islamist movement hanged two men accused of collaborating with Israel. Under Palestinian law, collaboration with Israel, murder and drug trafficking are all punishable by death. Hamas has executed 17 people since taking over Gaza in 2007, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
via Gaza protesters demand death penalty as anti-NGOs meet | Maan News Agency.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Capital punishment, death penalty, Emad Baghi, Gaza, Gaza Strip, Hamas, islamic fundamentalists, islamic law, Israel, Ma'an News Agency, MEA, Non-governmental organization, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Suleiman Awda
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 