Ref: 38/2007
Date: 22 August 2007
PCHR Hosts a Delegation from the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
On Wednesday, 22 August 2007, PCHR hosted a delegation from the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) from Geneva. The delegation consisted of:
Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn (Thailand): Professor Law at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, and a UN Expert on the situation of human rights in North Korea.
Mr. Gerald Staberock: Director of Global Security and Rule of Law Programme at the ICJ.
In Gaza, the visiting delegation teamed up with ICJ Executive Committee Member and PCHR’s Director Raji Sourani.
The delegation held a series of meetings with keynote officials in the dismissed Palestinian government in Gaza and the PLC. Two of the keynote officials were Sa’id Seyam, the head of Hamas parliamentary bloc in the PLC and the acting Minister of Interior in the dismissed government in Gaza.; and Ahmad Bahar, the Deputy PLC Speaker.
The visiting delegation met members of the legal community. They met Attorney-General Ahmad El-Moghani and two of his assistants. The meeting discussed the restrictions imposed on the work of the AG’s office in light of the closure and siege imposed on the OPT. In addition, the visitors met members of the Judiciary including the Deputy Chief Justice and members of the Supreme Court. The meeting centered on the challenges facing the judicial system in the current circumstances, including Israel’s denial of Palestinian civilian rights and continued occupation and siege.
The visitors also met representatives of Palestinian civil society and human rights community, who talked about the human rights situation in the OPT in general and the Gaza Strip in particular. They pointed to the suffering of the civilian population, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation caused by Israel’s closure and other violations of human rights against civilians.
It is noted that the visiting delegation is in the region to assess the human rights situation as part of a panel studying the impact of counter-terrorism laws on the human rights situation after 11 September 2001.
The ICJ delegation started their visit to Gaza by a meeting at PCHR with the Director of ICRC in Gaza and his assistant.
The ICJ is an international NGO based in Geneva with branches in more than 60 countries. It works to promote and monitor the rule of law and to provide legal protection to human rights. Members of the ICJ are active human rights organizations, including PCHR.
