Press Release

El-Sourani meets with

President of the International Federation of Human Rights

Ref: 104/2000

Date: 19 September 2000

PARIS- Raji El-Sourani, Director General of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, has met with Mr. Patrick Baudouin, President of the International Federation of Human Rights, Edriss El-Yazmi, Advisor of the President, and Antoine Bernard, Executive Director of the federation.

President of the federation has emphasized its position towards the right of the Palestinian people to exercise the right of self-determination, including the declaration of an independent state, according to international resolutions, inside June 4, 1967 borders, asserting that Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian State. He has also stressed that no body or state can deny that the Palestinian refugees’ right of return according to the General Assembly Resolution 194, and that the declaration of a Palestinian state is a unique right which the Palestinian political leadership can decide it.

President Baudouin has condemned the international community’s conspiracy of silence towards implementing Geneva Forth Convention by Israel in the Palestinian occupied territories. He has promised to cooperate seriously with PCHR and Law Institution on this subject.

Baudouin has also asserted that the destiny of the Palestinian people is correlated with democracy, the rule of law and human rights, so establishing institutions is the most important step to pave the way for declaring a Palestinian state.

El-Sourani has discussed with the federation its situation, the next elections in January 2001, aspects of future cooperation between it and PCHR, its programs and its relations with Arab organizations, members of the federation.