Press Release
Arab and Palestinian Human Rights Organization Condemn the Palestinian Bar Association’s Acting Council’s Decision taken against the Lawyers of Human
Rights Organizations.
Ref: 63/2000
Date: 15 May, 2000
Following the decision of the Acting Council of the Palestinian Bar Association to suspend 31 Palestinian lawyers as Practicing Lawyers, a number of Palestinian and Arab Human Rights Organization have deeply condemned this arbitrary decision.
On May 10, 2000, LAW from the West Bank published a press release mentioning that: “the decision is aiming at depriving those lawyers of their rights to participate in the elections, either by voting, or from being nominated”. In addition, the press release condemns such a decision that aims further at depriving the Lawyers from the West Bank who are working in human rights organizations, from their rights to participate to the Bar Association activities, and to contribute to the process of democratic transformation in Palestine.
On May 10, 2000, Al Haq from the West Bank published a press release stating that: “the decision taken by the Acting Council against the Lawyers was issued after the expiry of the Acting Council legal period”. The press release added that “Al Haq regrets the overrun of the law by the Acting Council, and its narrow and illegal interpretation of the unapproved by-law”.
On May 11, 2000, Al Mizan Centre for Human Rights published a press release considering the decision as unprecedented and asserted that: “ there is no article of the by-law which prevents the lawyers from practicing their profession either as lawyers in human rights organisations, or private companies or other institutions. The by-law only states that it is not possible for a lawyer to work in government job and as a private lawyer at the same time”. The press release further calls upon the Palestinian lawyers to gather their efforts to stop the implementation of such a decision.
On May 13, 2000 the Palestinian NGOs’ network published a press release expressing “its deep concern over the decision adopted by the Acting Council of the Palestinian Bar Association, to suspend 31 Lawyers as Practicing Lawyers under the justification that those lawyers are working in the human rights field”.
Moreover, a number of Arab Human Rights organizations have published press releases condemning the decision. On May 11, 2000, the Arab Human Rights Organization, located in Cairo, published a press release “condemning the decision, and considered it to be arbitrary, contradicting the Universal Declaration for Human Rights” and called upon the Acting Council to “readdress the situation, and instead carry on its role in defending Palestinian human rights”.
In addition, the Arab Human Rights Organization, located in Jordan, published a press release on May 14, 2000, in which it considered that “ the decision contradicts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which secures the rights of human rights organizations’ employees to be protected against the arbitrary measures adopted by the Authority”.
On May 14, 2000 the Arab Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers published a press release in which it expressed its “deep frustration at the decision adopted by the Acting Council of the Palestinian Bar Association against the Palestinian lawyers. It considered that the decision violates the right of lawyers to freedom of expression”.
The same day, Secretariat General of the Arab Lawyers Union also published a press release condemning the Acting Council’s decision and called upon the Acting Council “to readdress the situation and to adopt the necessary measures that secure the right of lawyers to membership of the Bar Association, and to be able to practice their profession freely and independently”.
In another press release published on May 15, 2000, the Egyptian Human Rights Organization expressed its “deep condemnation for the Acting Council decision concerning the suspension of Palestinian human rights Lawyers as Practicing Lawyers”.
In a different sphere, the Palestinian Democratic Union “Fida”, published on May 15,2000, a press release announcing its “supportive stance for all lawyers who reject the decision for violation of the law, and considered the decision as a dangerous precedent that undermines democracy and human rights principles” .
It is clear from all the above statements that the decision of the Acting Council has been universally condemned by many Organisations concerned with upholding basic human rights and principles of democracy . PCHR expresses its deep recognition of all the support given to the affected Lawyers, manifested in the numerous press releases and letters of support received, following this unprecedented action of the Acting Council of the Palestinian Bar Association.
“END”
