Ref: 33/2015

The Training Unit of the Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights (PCHR concluded in cooperation with the Palestinian Prisoners
and Former Prisoners Committee a training course in human rights.  In presence of Mr Raji Soura, the unit
organized a concluding ceremony at the end of the course, which is a part of a
two-year project funded by the EU entitled “Promoting Human Rights and
Freedom of Access to Information in the Gaza Strip”. The 20-hour course
that was held in Laterna Restaurant hall in Gaza City between 10 and 14 June
2015 targeted 26 participants from the Committee’s members from the five Gaza
Strips’ governorates.

In his concluding speech, Mr. Raji Sourani
emphasized on the strong relationship between PCHR and defenders of Prisoner
rights because defending prisoners’ rights is a joint mission between PCHR and
the Committee presenting the Palestinian people’s Conscience.  He also talked about the importance of the
prisoners issue as it occupies an advanced position in PCHR’s priorities.  He also stressed that the prisoner defenders
should have knowledge of human rights concepts and prisoners’ position in the
international humanitarian law.  Sourani
also talked about the circumstances of forming the International Criminal Court
(ICC) noting that PCHR has followed-up the first consultations of forming it.  He also emphasized that Palestine’s accession
to the ICC opened the way for the victims to gain access to justice.  Sourani explained the reasons behind forming
the ICC and its jurisdiction.  He added
that the ICC is the court of those who have no court to resort to.  At the end, Sourani thanked the participants
for being committed to attend the training course and their effective
participation in the discussion.

In the same context, Usamah Murtaja, Public
Relations Officer of the Committee, presented a shield for PCHR and its
director, Mr. Raji Sourani, to thank and appreciate them for PCHR’s distinctive
efforts to disseminate the culture of human rights among the prisoner rights
defenders and to defend the rights of the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli
jails.  Murtaja emphasized on PCHR’s
distinctive role in defending Palestinians’ rights and prosecuting israeli war
criminals on the international level.

Bassam al-Aqraa’, Director of PCHR’s Training
Unit, said that the training course included the following topics: the
International Bill of Human Rights (the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, , international
humanitarian law and ICC.

A team of specialized trainers supervised the
training sessions.  The team included;
Mohammed ‘Atallah, a lawyer at PCHR’s legal unit; Mr. Bassam al-Aqra’, director
of PCHR’s Trianing Unit; Khalil Shahin, Director of PCHR’s Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights’ Unit; Mr. Ramzi al-Najjar from the Prisoners’ Supporters
Society; and Ms. Nisreen al-Shawa, civil activist.  It should be mentioned that three of the
trainers participated in training courses lately organized by PCHR for human rights
trainers.

The Participants praised the course which
contributed to raising the participants’ awareness of human rights concepts and
ICC.  They emphasized also that the
course was characterized by its diverse topics and rich information and praised
the dedication of the trainers and the use of diverse interactive training
methods which enriched the course.

At the end of the ceremony, Mr Raji Sourani,
Director of PCHR, and Taysir al-Burdeini, General Commissioner of the
Committee, distributed certificates to the participants