On 27 October 2021, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Palestinian civil society, and international human rights organizations submitted an urgent appeal to the United Nations (UN) Special Procedures on the imminent deportation of human rights defender Salah Hammouri, following the confirmation of the decision by the Israeli Interior Ministry to revoke his permanent residency status in Jerusalem due to a “breach of allegiance to the State of Israel.” The initiation of his residency revocation and forced deportation, pursuant to Amendment No. 30 to the Entry into Israel Law of 1952, is the latest development in Israel’s apartheid regime’s targeted harassment campaign against Salah Hammouri, a vocal Palestinian human rights advocate, a long-time employee at Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, and a former political prisoner. At the same time, Israel has continued to escalate its attacks on Palestinian human rights defenders and civil society in order to silence opposition to apartheid and to stop any efforts to hold Israel accountable for its human rights violations.
The organizations urged UN Special Procedure mandates to:
- Issue a public statement calling on Israel to reverse its decision to revoke the residency status of Salah Hammouri, which will lead to his imminent deportation.
- Communicate with the Israeli Foreign Ministry and other relevant interlocutors to reiterate the illegality of residency revocation leading to the forcible transfer of Palestinian civilians, which is a war crime under the Rome Statute of the ICC.
- Call on Israel to put an end to all policies and measures of intimidation and harassment against human rights defenders and activists.
Read the urgent appeal here
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