Ref: 3/2008
Date: 10 February 2008
Sourani Concludes an International Tour to Switzerland, France, Spain and Egypt
On 10 February 2008, Raji Sourani, Director of PCHR, concluded an international tour that took him to Spain, France, Switzerland and Egypt, where he attended a number of conferences and activities.
From 4-10 February, Sourani was in Spain, and participated in a series of activities aiming to shed light on the human rights situation in the OPT on the 40th anniversary of the Israeli occupation and 60th anniversary of the Nakba (the uprooting of the Palestinian people from their lands).
The activities started in Barcelona with two meetings with journalists and members of the Arab community to inform about the current human rights situation in the OPT, especially the Gaza Strip. In addition, Sourani met officials in the International Cooperation Department in the Municipality of Barcelona. He also met with the international director of the International Cooperation Association and three of his aides. On 6 February, Sourani participated in a lecture organized for 100 solidarity activists and supporters of the Palestinian cause, and talked in detail about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. He cited various examples of Israeli violations of human rights and international silence coinciding with the brutal siege imposed on the Gaza Strip’s population.
In Mardrid, Sourani held a meeting on 7 February with the director-general of the Ascot Project to discuss joint projects and prospects of further cooperation. On the same day, Sourani participated in a conference organized by the Arab House Association in the International Center of Arts. He delivered a lecture to more than 250 activists and politicians about Israeli human rights violations, pointing to the suffering of the civilian population due to the policies of closure, killing, and destruction. He pointed out that these measures are flagrant violations of Palestinian human rights as defined by Israeli and international human rights organizations. Sourani condemned Europe’s role in the form of silence and complicity with the Israeli occupation, as well as active participation in the siege imposed on the Palestinian people. This role, he stated, transformed the Gaza Strip population into poor people, with unemployment amounts to 68% and 90% dependant on humanitarian aid. He stressed that the current European trend encourages the rule of the law of jungles instead of the rule of law.
On 8 February, Sourani met the founder and members of al-Quds Association. Afterwards, he participated in a public meeting organized by the Association for more than 200 solidarity activists with Palestine. In the meeting, Sourani talked about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip on the 40th anniversary of the occupation, which comes at a time of international silence over Israeli crimes against Palestinians. He pointed out that these crimes include ethnic cleansing, Judaization of Jerusalem, the construction of the Annexation Wall, settlement building and expansion, closure, killing, and systematic destruction of all aspects of civilian life. Sourani reminded that Europe has repeatedly rejected calls by civil society groups to activate Article 2 of the EU-Israeli Association Agreement under the pretext that it would affect Israeli civilians. He condemned Europe’s silence towards the daily loss of Palestinian civilian lives by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). Sourani summarized Palestinian demands in a few points: enforcement of International Humanitarian Law; enforcement of the rule of law rather than the law of jungles; an end for Israeli occupation; dismantlement of settlements and the apartheid Annexation Wall; and protection of Palestinian civilians.
On 9 February, Sourani met with 15 representatives of NGO in Andalusia to discuss breaking the international conspiracy of silence and activate international solidarity visits to the OPT. In addition, the meeting discussed the current situation in the Gaza Strip.
It is noted that on 1 February, Sourani participated in a colloquium in Egypt about the human rights situation and living conditions in the Gaza Strip. The colloquium was organized by the Union of Arab Lawyers. Souarni talked about the unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and the mass flow of people towards the border between Gaza and Egypt. He reminded that such situation coincides with the 60th of the Palestinian Nakba and while the whole cause and suffering was reduced to the lack of electricity, fuels and foodstuffs.
On 30 January 2008, Souarni participated in a colloquium organized by the Arab Organization for Human Rights in Cairo. In his intervention, Sourani talked about the death penalty asserting that PCHR is against it as it violates the right of life and does not deter crimes. He further explained PCHR’s position towards national treason, field trials, and courts martial.
In the period, 19-21 January, Sourani participated in a conference organized by the Library of Alexandria and the French government. He also met with a number of delegations participating in the conference.
In France, on 24 January, IOF held a meeting at the French Foreign Ministry, which was attended by the staff of the office of the French Minister of Human Rights. On 25 January, he met with the United Nations and international organizations officer at the French Foreign Ministry. The meeting discussed the current situation in the Gaza Strip.
In Switzerland, on 23 and 24 January, Sourani attended the meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to discuss the current situation in the Gaza Strip. During his visit to Switzerland, Sourani met with the delegation of International Commission of Jurists, the Dutch Ambassador, EU Representative to the Human Rights Council, and Palestinian Ambassador.
Sourani started his tour in December 2007. In the period 13-17 December, he held meetings with International Federation of Human Rights, Amnesty International and civil society groups. These meetings were held in the context of Sourani’s participation in the celebration of International Human Rights Day, which was attended by diplomats, politicians and civil society groups. During his visit to France, Sourani also attended the celebration organized by the International Federation of Human Rights on International Human Rights Day.
During his international tour, Sourani conducted a number of media interviews in Switzerland, France, Spain and Egypt.
Sourabi’s tour started when IOF allowed him to travel from the Gaza Strip through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, following the intervention of the French Foreign Ministry. Souarni had been banned from passing through the crossing for more than 7 years.
