Ref: 31/2015

On
Sunday, 14 June 2015, Mr. Hamdi Shaqura, Deputy Director of the Palestinian
Center for Human Rights (PCHR) for Program Affairs, won in the elections held
by the Executive Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN).

The
meetings of the EMHRN’s General Assembly are being held now in Brussels in Belgium,
where EMHRN members elected the new Executive Committee for the next three
years.   EMHRN, which was established in 1997 in Copenhagen,
includes around 60 human rights organizations from south and north of the
Mediterranean as well as dozens of regional organizations, supporters and
honorary members of the Euro-Mediterranean region. EMHRN works to promote human
rights and democratic reforms through networking and cooperation within the
framework of civil society.

Mr. Shaqura
was not able to participate in the meetings due to the closure and collective
punishment policy imposed by the Israeli forces on Palestinian civilians in the
Gaza Strip, including human rights defenders. Israeli authorities refused to issue
a permit for Mr. Shaqura to travel via Beit Honoun “Erez” Crossing.

 PCHR extends special thanks to Mr. Sha’awan Jabarin,
Director of Al-Haq Organization. Mr Jabarin introduced PCHR and the candidate
for the elections as PCHR was strongly present in this special meeting.
Moreover, PCHR extends thanks to all institutions that supported the nomination
of Mr. Shaqura. PCHR believes that such confidence highlights the Palestinian
presence within the civil society of the northern and southern Mediterranean
and support of the demands and aims for which the Palestinian human rights
organizations were established.