Ref:
14/2015

On
Saturday, 18 April 2015, a delegation from the European Academy
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a German organization, visited the Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights’ (PCHR) office in Ramallah to be briefed on PCHR’s role in the
field of human rights and the human rights situation in the occupied
Palestinian territory (oPt).

At
the beginning of the meeting, Coordinator of PCHR’s Activities in the West
Bank, Samih Mohsen, welcomed the delegation, which included 24 judges, lawyers
and an Attorney General representing three states in the Federal Republic of
Germany. He also emphasized on the importance of such visits organized by
European organizations that are interested in human rights to the oPt in order
to closely observe the human rights situation in it.  Moreover, he gave a brief introduction on
PCHR, its work, programs and local efforts endeavored in defending victims in
addition to PCHR’s attempts to ensure remedy for them and local and
international efforts to mobilize support in order to prosecute Israeli
political and military leaders suspected of committing war crimes against
Palestinian civilians.

Mohsen
also addressed PCHR’s work before the Israeli courts.  He pointed out that throughout PCHR’s long
experience in this field, we believe that the Israeli judiciary does not comply
with the standards of justice for the Palestinian victims and serves the
Israeli authorities and their settlement projects in the oPt.  Moreover, he held the international community
responsible for not obliging the Israeli government to apply the rules of
international humanitarian and international human rights laws and UN
resolutions related to the oPt.  He added
that the Palestinian people daily pay the price of continued treatment of
Israel as a state above the law.

During
the meeting, Mohsen talked about the human rights situation in Palestine.  He focused on the Israeli policies practiced
in occupied East Jerusalem, which is isolated by the annexation wall and
military checkpoints from its Palestinian surrounding, denying Palestinians
from the West Bank or Gaza Strip access to it without having permits for very
limited reasons and through very restricted measures.  Mohsen also talked about the accelerated
settlement activities in the city, destruction of Palestinian houses and
targeting Islamic and Christian holy sites in it.

Moshen
also fully explained the human rights situation in the Gaza Strip following the
latest Israeli offensive on it.  He
talked about the continued strangling closure imposed by Israel on Gaza that
resulted in additional suffering and misery for civilians there. He also pointed
out that the Israeli forces continue to chase and open fire at Palestinian
fishermen in the sea in addition to opening fire at the border areas.

He
also talked about the denial of entry of construction materials and limitation
of types and quantities of goods allowed into Gaza, including medicines and
medical consignments.  He also reviewed
the israeli violations in the West Bank, particularly the restrictions imposed
on the movement of civilians, Palestinian farmers’ suffering on both sides of
the annexation wall, daily incursions into the Palestinian cities, villages and
camps, arrest campaigns against hundreds of civilians annually, excessive use
of forces against peaceful protests, settlement activities and settlers’
attacks against Palestinian civilians and property, displacing Bedouins from
their residencies, crimes of leveling houses and agricultural lands and
uprooting trees for the settlement projects.

At
the end of the meeting, Mohsen gave answers to the delegation members’
inquiries and questions.  The delegation
members thanked PCHR for hosting them and giving them a brief on PCHR’s work
and activities in addition to the human rights situation in the oPt.