Ref: 65/2013

On Wednesday, 09 October 2013, the Palestinian
Center for Human Rights (PCHR) received the Irish Minister for Development, Mr.
Joe Costello, and an accompanying delegation in PCHR’s head office in Gaza
City.  The visitors met with Mr. Raji
Sourani, Director of PCHR, who welcomed the visitors expressing appreciation
for the Irish role at the level of supporting the legitimate rights of the
Palestinian people, referring in particular to Ireland’s voting in favor of the
Goldstone Report in the Human Rights Council. 
Sourani further confirmed the strong relation between the Palestinian
and Irish peoples.

During the meeting, the human rights situation
in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) was reviewed, especially the
continued illegal closure and collective punishment measures imposed on the
Gaza Strip, as well as escalating settlement activities and the construction of
the annexation wall at the expense of Palestinian land in the West Bank.  The meeting further discussed the disastrous
impacts of the ongoing Palestinian political split and related human rights
violations on the Palestinian society.

Sourani stressed the need for intervention by
the international community, including the European Union, to stop the ongoing
deterioration, put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and stop
collective punishment of civilians who are protected under the international
law.  At the end of the meeting, Sourani
handed to the Irish Minister PCHR’s souvenir plaque in honor and recognition of
his role and efforts to support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,
the rule of law and human rights.  The
Irish Minister also handed a souvenir plaque to Sourani. 

On the same day, Sourani received Mr. Axel
Wernhoff, the Consul General of Sweden, the Swedish Ambassador to Israel and an
accompanying delegation.  The Swedish
delegation visited PCHR in order to congratulate Sourani for having been
awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize by the Right Livelihood Foundation in
Sweden.

In the meeting with the Swedish delegation,
Sourani emphasized that awarding this prize to him constitutes an international
recognition of the Palestinian human rights movements, and a victory for values
and ethics over the prevailing law of jungles which causes extreme suffering to
Palestinian civilians. 

Earlier on the same day, Sourani received Mr.
Javier Parrondo, Deputy Consul of Spain. 
The meeting discussed developments to the human rights situation in the
oPt and the continuous Israeli escalation. 
The meeting further addressed PCHR’s efforts to overcome the obstacles
and barriers established by Israel to deny Palestinian victims access to
judicial remedy.  The meeting further
discussed the human rights situation at the internal level and the restrictions
on public liberties in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the ongoing
political split.