NEW YORK (Arab News) – UN human rights experts have “strongly and unequivocally” condemned the decision by Zionist regime authorities to designate six Palestinian human rights groups as ‘terrorist organizations’.
“This designation is a frontal attack on the Palestinian human rights movement and on human rights everywhere,” the special rapporteurs said.
“Silencing their voices is not what a democracy adhering to well-accepted human rights and humanitarian standards would do.”
They called on the international community to “defend the defenders” and added: “These civil society organizations are the canaries in the human rights coalmine, alerting us to the patterns of violations, reminding the international community of its obligations to ensure accountability, and providing voices for those who have none.”
Special rapporteurs are independent experts who serve in individual capacities, and on a voluntary basis, on the UN’s Human Rights Council. They are not members of UN staff and are not paid for their work.
They include Martin Lynk, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, and Fionnuala Ni Aolain, special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism.
The experts said that antiterrorism laws must not be used as a tool to undermine freedoms, and reminded Zionist regime authorities that the Security Council and all other UN bodies “have all been clear about the requirement to apply counter-terrorism measures in a manner which is consistent with international law and does not violate states’ international obligations.”
Such “egregious misuse” of counterterrorism measures by the Zionist regime, the experts added, undermines the security of all.
Zionist war minister Benny Gantz on Friday ordered the designation of six Palestinian NGOs in the West Bank as “terrorist organizations.” The decision was largely condemned by the Palestinians and the European Union.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday condemned the Zionist regime for intervening in the work of Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which act in accordance with the Palestinian law, reported the official Palestinian news agency (WAFA).
Abbas told the NGOs’ representatives at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah that the Zionist regime’s decision “is rejected and condemned,” adding that “all the Palestinians stand to the side of the NGOs which document and unveil the Israeli crimes that are committed against the Palestinians.”