Ref: 42/2012

On Wednesday, 09 May 2012, the Palestinian
Center for Human Rights (PCHR) received Fionnuala Callan, the Deputy
Representative of Ireland to the Palestinian National Authority, and Maria
Velasco, the Consul of Political Affairs at the Consulate General of Sweden.

The two visitors met with Jaber Weshah, PCHR’s
Deputy Director for Branches Affairs, and Daragh Murray, PCHR’s International
Legal Officer.  The meeting began with
briefing the visitors on the developments related to the Palestinian prisoners’
hunger strike that has imposed risks on a number of the prisoners’ lives.  Weshah called for exerting pressure on Israel
in order for the prisoners’ demands to be fulfilled.  The demands include improving their living
conditions in the Israeli prisons; ensuring family visitations, particularly
for the prisoners from the Gaza Strip; putting an end to the solitary
confinement and administrative detention policy repression and night searches;
and ensuring the opportunity to continue their education.

PCHR’s representatives also focused on the
conditions of the Palestinians under administrative detention in the Israeli
prisoners.  These detentions violate the
right of a detainee to a fair trial, including the right to receive appropriate
defense and to be informed of charges against him/her.  In this context, Weshah pointed to the risks
that may result from the Israeli policy of taking advantage of the
administrative detention.  He
particularly referred to forcible transfer of a number of Palestinians, who
were under administrative detention, to Gaza.

At another level, the meeting addressed the
Israeli closure that has been imposed on the Gaza Strip for approximately 6
years.  It discussed the impacts of the
closure on all aspects of life; these impacts that prevent the civilians from
enjoying their rights, which are guaranteed under the international laws at the
economic and social levels.

In the meeting, the human rights situation at
the internal level was discussed.  Weshah
pointed to the ramifications of the Palestinian split at the level of
violations of human rights and public and private liberties.  He stressed that it is necessary for Europe
to play a more effective role in supporting the efforts towards achieving the
Palestinian reconciliation, in addition to obliging Israel to respect the
principles of international humanitarian law and fulfill the requirements of
international justice.