Ref: 24/2018

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) mourns the loss of prominent human rights activist Felicia Langer, who died few days ago after a long history of defending Palestinian human rights.

Friend and lawyer Langer was one of the first to defend the prisoners and detainees in the Israeli prisons and spent her life defending them and their causes.  She was the first to write about their pains and torments while they were in limbo and the first to document their sufferings and experiences by authoring two books “With My Own Eyes” and “These Are My Brothers” in addition to further reports and books she later published.  For her activism, Langer was awarded in 1990 the “Alternative Noble Prize” for the exemplary courage of her struggle for the basic rights of the Palestinian people.  Langer was also awarded the “Bruno Kreisky” Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Area of Human Rights.

Langer paid a stiff price for her noble positions as the Israeli occupation threatened her throughout her life by stalking her and tightening the screws on her.  Thus, she was forced to relinquish the nationality of Israel which commit war crimes against the Palestinians and decided to immigrate to Germany in 1990.

Langer had not stopped fighting for the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, a state and independence and supported the causes of justice, equality and freedom.  She met with the leaders of Palestine’s Liberation Organization and challenged Israel till her last breath.  She attached great importance to defense of the Palestinian prisoners, unmasking the Israeli Judiciary and exposure of the Crimes committed by Israel as a racist state.  She joined and coordinated with the human rights and humanitarian action activists in Palestine and Europe.

On behalf of the human rights movement and human rights and civil society organizations in Palestine, we mourn the death of a Sister, Companion and national fighter who was a peerless and great model.  May her soul Rest in Peace and May her career and fight set an inspiring example for her family, friends, loved ones, colleagues, and companions to tell the truth in the face of the occupied and unjust authority.