Ref: 98/2012

On 11-12 December, 2012, the Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights (PCHR), participated in the International Conference for Solidarity with Palestinian and Arab
Prisoners in Israeli Occupation Jails, sponsored by the League of Arab
States and hosted by the Republic of Iraq in Baghdad.

The two-day conference brought together
international figures, including EU and national parliamentarians, foreign
diplomats, representatives of solidarity groups, human rights NGOs and other
CSOs, international law professors and lawyers and was widely covered by Arab
and international media groups.

Mr. Davide Tundo, a member of PCHR’s
International Unit, participated in the conference and delivered a presentation
based on a PCHR’s briefing
submitted for this occasion and focusing on a few specific issues illustrative
of the main pattern of Israeli violations vis
à vis Palestinian prisoners. 

In particular, Mr. Tundo noted that family
visits for Gaza prisoners held in Israeli jails – banned under a blanket
prohibition since mid-June 2007 and recently resumed with tight age and gender
restrictions – are framed as a gesture of good will by Israel and as a
negotiable item, rather than as an inalienable human right of Gaza prisoners
that should be fully and unconditionally implemented.

Moreover, the transfer into prisons inside
Israeli territory, the willful denial of the right to a fair trial and the
inhuman and degrading treatment, including torture, to which Palestinian
prisoners are subjected from the time of their arrest are contrary to Israel’s
legal obligations and constitute serious breaches of international humanitarian
and human rights law, in some cases constituting war crimes, against
Palestinian prisoners.

Therefore Mr. Tundo conveyed PCHR’s belief that
accountability for such serious crimes through mechanisms of international
justice is a moral and legal obligation on all states, including members of the
Arab League, particularly in light of the perverse cycle of impunity that leads
to new violations, which is characterizes Israel’s longstanding and belligerent
occupation of Palestinian land.

The enforcement of the rule of law is key vis à vis the long overdue realization
of Palestinians’ human rights -such as justice- and especially Palestinian
prisoners and their families.

Upon conclusion of the conference proceedings,
the Baghdad Declaration partially echoed PCHR’s
demands as it called upon the League of Arab States to ask a UN envoy
be sent for a monitoring mission in Israeli jails and to refer the situation of
the Palestinian prisoners to the International Criminal Court for a preliminary
consideration.

PCHR’s briefing is available here.