Tag: human rights defenders

More young camera activists trained in Hebron

15th March 2017  |  International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team  |  Hebron, occupied Palestine

Today five young students from  Ibrahimi boys’ school took training in camera skills in H2, the Israeli controlled part of the city of Hebron.  Training consisted of camera skills, for video, stills and phone-camera; as well as the human rights and legal aspects they need to be effective and safe human rights campaigners in their own community.  Last week the same training took place at Qurtuba school when five girls got their training.

The project was started by Human Rights Defenders here in Hebron, who have a proud history of using cameras to document unjust situations and even on occasion, to prevent more injustice being done.  Only this week a Human Rights Defenders  activist filmed the arrest of a boy at Shuhada Street checkpoint for the alleged crime of carrying a knife.  Without the protective presence of the camera, Israeli soldiers could have acted extrajudicially.

The cameras for this project were donated by ISM Northern California.

Now a new generation of activists learns a new way to resist the occupation of their country and their community.

UN : “Stop unacceptable harassment of human rights defenders in occupied Palestinian Territory”

December 18th, 2015 | UN Press release | al Khalil, Occupied Palestine

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst. Photo: MINUSTAH
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst. Photo: MINUSTAH

GENEVA – United Nations independent experts today expressed grave concerns at continued reports that human rights defenders are being subjected to physical attacks, harassment, arrest and detention, and death threats, particularly in Hebron in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), in an apparent bid by Israeli authorities and settler elements to stop their peaceful and important work.

“Amidst a charged and violent atmosphere over past months in the OPT, Palestinian and international defenders are providing a ‘protective presence’ for Palestinians at risk of violence, and documenting human rights violations,” said the UN Special Rapporteur the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst.

“The continued harassment of human rights defenders in the OPT, who are exercising their rights to freedoms of expression and association, is simply unacceptable. It should cease immediately,” Mr. Forst stressed.

Earlier this month, a group of UN human rights experts urged the Israeli Government to ensure a protective environment where human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territory can work without unlawful restriction and without fear of retaliatory acts.

“We recently addressed concerns to the Israeli Government regarding retaliatory acts by Israeli authorities against members of one organisation based in Hebron, Youth Against Settlements, after its Centre was subjected to raids and settlers allegedly called for it to be closed,” noted the UN Special Rapporteur the situation of human rights in the OPT, Makarim Wibisono.

“The Centre has now effectively been shut down as a result of the Israeli military declaring the surrounding area a military zone,” Mr. Wibisono said. “We urge Israeli authorities to lift this military order.”

The experts’ statement has been endorsed by the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Mr. Juan E. Méndez, and by the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Mr. Maina Kiai.

Read our action alert calling for an end of the closed military zone in al Khalil.