SHAFAQNA – The UN’s independent rights experts on Tuesday, described Israel’s conviction of human rights defender Issa Amro earlier this month, as showing disdain for the country’s international obligations. The comments came after the 6 January conviction by an Israeli military court of the Palestinian human rights defender and Founder of Youth Against Settlements, a Hebron-based group, which opposes settlement expansion through non-violent civil resistance.
The UN experts Mr. Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, and Ms. Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, added that convicting him for participating in demonstrations without a permit, is contrary to new developments in international human rights law. “The failure to notify authorities of an upcoming assembly does not in itself render the act of participating in the assembly as unlawful”, they stated.
“This conviction is part of a pattern where Israeli military law is used to restrict and penalise Palestinians for exercising their inviolable political and civil rights.”, the experts concluded, adding that the conviction appeared to be politically motivated.
Source: UN News