Ref: 26/2015

On
Thursday, 28 May 2015, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) organized
a workshop on the death Penalty and extra-judicial execution, in cooperation
with partner institutions and civil community activists,. Representatives of
those bodies were the target group of the workshop that was held at the Light
House Restaurant in Gaza City. The workshop was attended by 21 persons, including
12 women. The participants discussed opinions and perspectives on the death
penalty and the urgent need to abolish it.

Several
topics were addressed in the workshop, the most prominent of which were: the death
penalty in the domestic and international laws, guarantees of the application
of death penalty under domestic and international standards, controversy on the
abolishment of death penalty and clarification of the objective and legal
justifications for PCHR’s rejection for the death penalty in Palestine. In
addition, the workshop addressed extra-judicial execution for suspicious of
collaboration with the Israeli forces and the threat it poses on the security
and the rule of law in the society. The workshop was facilitated by Mr. Mohammad
Abu Hashem, a legal and human rights activist at PCHR.

The participants
praised the workshop.  They  highlighted the importance of the subject
matter and the necessity to extensively discuss it so everyone can understand
the enormous risks associated with the application of extra-judicial execution
or any  other death sentences particularly
in view of the complicated circumstances under which the Palestinian people
live. After the participants realized the negative impact of extra-judicial
execution regardless what the crime is, the majority of them confirmed that the
workshop made them reconsider the issue of extra-judicial execution for
suspicious of collaboration with the occupation and the death penalty in general.
They became more aware of PCHR’s legitimate concerns over the application of the
death penalty, especially in light of the lack of capabilities and experience in
criminal investigation in Palestine generally, and in the Gaza Strip particularly.

This
workshop comes in the context of the PCHR’s efforts to abolish the death
penalty and put an end to extra-judicial execution as well as mobilizing public
support to practice pressure on the Palestinian President to sign the Second Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights 1989.

PCHR
usually works on involving the grassroots associations in various activities to
enhance networking and promote and raise awareness of human rights. PCHR also seeks
to enhance legal orientation of the grassroots and concerned associations. .

It
is worth mentioning that this workshop is a part of project implemented by PCHR
in cooperation with the Representative Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
to the Palestinian Authority.