{"id":428594,"date":"2025-09-16T10:03:19","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T10:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/428594\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T10:03:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T10:03:19","slug":"occupied-palestinian-territory-opt-united-states-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/428594\/","title":{"rendered":"Occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) \/ United States of\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

URGENT APPEAL – THE OBSERVATORY<\/strong><\/p>\n

OPT 002 \/ 0925 \/ OBS 056
Judicial and administrative harassment \/
Obstacles to freedom of assembly
Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) \/ United States of America<\/strong>
16 September 2025
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory <\/strong>and in the United States of America<\/strong>.
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

Description of the situation:<\/strong>
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

The Observatory has been informed of sanctions imposed by the United States of America\u2019s Department of the Treasury (OFAC) against three Palestinian NGOs, Al Haq<\/a>, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights (Al Mezan<\/a>), and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR<\/a>). The three organisations have been documenting human rights violations against Palestinian civilians and prisoners and have been engaging with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to provide evidence on Israel\u2019s actions and abuses. The three of them are members of FIDH and the OMCT.
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

On 4 September 2025, the three Palestinians organisations have been added<\/a> to the Department of the Treasury\u2019s \u201cSpecially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List\u201d. This list compiles individuals and organisations said to be \u201cowned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of targeted countries\u201d or to be \u201cterrorists and narcotics traffickers\u201d. By being added on this list, Al Haq, Al Mezan and PCHR <\/strong>will see all their property and interests under U.S. jurisdiction blocked and any transactions by U.S. persons prohibited. These measures threaten the very survival of these organisations.
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

In a statement published on the same day, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio has justified the sanctions under the <\/strong>Executive Order 14203<\/a>, \u201c<\/strong>Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court\u201d as the three organisations have assisted the ICC in its investigation on the State of Israel. The Section 1 (a) of the Executive Order clearly indicates that all those who \u201c<\/strong>have directly engaged in any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute a protected person without consent of that person’s country of nationality\u201d will face sanctions.
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

The Observatory recalls that this is not the first time that the OFAC has issued sanctions against Palestinian human rights organisations as was the case on 10 June 2025 with the Palestinian organisation Addameer<\/a> that was designated as a \u201cterrorist financing\u201d organisation under Executive Order 13224<\/a>.
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

The Observatory strongly condemns the ongoing pattern of attacks on Palestinian human rights organisations through the misuse of economic sanctions in retaliation of collaboration with an international judicial body.
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

The Observatory is particularly alarmed by the impact these sanctions will have on Palestinian victims of torture and human rights violations, many amounting to international crimes, who rely on Al Haq, Al Mezan and PCHR\u2019s actions of monitoring and advocacy. Reports<\/a> by UN experts in 2024 pointed to a rise in the use of torture and ill-treatment in Israeli custody since October 2023.
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

The Observatory strongly urges U.S. authorities to immediately lift these sanctions, which contribute to the shrinking of Palestinian civic space and infringes on the right of Palestinian human rights organisations to interact and engage with international judicial bodies like the ICC.
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

Action required:<\/strong>
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

Please write to the U.S. authorities urging them to:
\n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Lift all sanctions against Al Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and Addameer <\/strong><\/strong>which directly obstruct its legitimate human rights work and advocacy for Palestinian victims of torture, human rights violations and international crimes; <\/li>\n
  2. Ensure that Al Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and Addameer are able to access the human and financial resources required to carry out their legal and humanitarian work without restrictions;<\/li>\n
  3. End the misuse of economic sanctions to target civil society actors and human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Addresses:<\/strong>
    \n\t\t\t\t\t \n<\/p>\n