A powerful Palestinian Authority (PA) human rights group is recommending that Western donors force the Arab entity to change its political ways.
The Al-Haq organization expressed outrage Thursday at the Palestinian Authority's system of injustice and called on Western nations to help persuade PA politicians to correct the situation.
Al-Haq director Shahwan Jabbarin particularly focused on the issue of judiciary independence, saying that security services in both the Fatah-run areas of Judea and
In a statement Thursday, Al-Haq firmly denounced the "negligence of the Palestinian Executive and Judicial authorities in putting an end to such illegal practices" as arrest warrants being issued against civilians and their detention by military courts.
"Palestinian security forces are totally disregarding any attempt made by the civil judiciary to exercise any form of control over their actions, capitalizing on the unconditional support provided by the military judiciary to their misconduct," read the statement.
Jabbarin told reporters that the best way to ensure a change in PA policies is by hitting it in its pocket. "I tell the donors it's high time they pressured the Authority to implement its commitments towards the independence of the judiciary."
PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad acknowledged that there have been violations and said authorities had made mistakes, but said he remains committed to building security and judicial reform in Judea and
Hamas denied any wrongdoing, saying there was no political significance to arrests made by its security forces.
Al-Haq: Political Power on an International Scale
Although Al-Haq appears to be a simple non-profit non-governmental organization, in reality the group, which was founded in 1979 to "protect and promote human rights and the rule of law" is very powerful. Based in Ramallah, it was one of the first human rights organizations established in the Arab world.
Al-Haq initially focused primarily on
By 1986 it was examining human rights issues within the context of the PLO's treatment of its own Arabs, particularly women and workers' rights. Eventually the group broadened its scope, winning generous financial support from numerous international organizations and acting as their representative in Judea and
Al-Haq has special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and documents violations of the individual and collective rights of PA Arabs "irrespective of the identity of the perpetrator."
In 2004, the group launched a campaign against what it called "Israeli measures of collective punishment and intimidation in the OPT." In addition to the campaign, Al-Haq marked its 25th anniversary with "Waiting for Justice, a report that provided in-depth legal analysis of violations of human rights by the Israeli authorities, based on first hand information gathered by its fieldworkers."
It is affiliated with a number of other international entities, including the International Commission of Jurists -