Press Release

The Norwegian Minister of Justice visits PCHR.

Date: 15 January 2000

Ref: 2/2000

This afternoon the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights received The Norwegian Minister of Justice and Police, Mr Odd Einnar Dorum, accompanied by a delegation from the Ministry and from the Norwegian Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority.

Mr Raji Sourani, Director of PCHR, met the Minister and the delegation and provided a comprehensive summary of the Palestinian human rights situation. In particular he talked about Israeli violation of Palestinian human rights. These violations, he explained, have destroyed the Oslo Agreements and created, in practice, a system of de facto apartheid against the Palestinian people. Moreover, he introduced to them the impact of the closure policy and how this policy has led to the isolation of the Palestinian people.

In addition, he discussed the Israeli High Court decision banning torture and warned against misunderstanding of this decision, pointing out the possibility invited by the judgment to draft a law allowing torture. In this regard he also mentioned the prevention of about 500 Palestinian lawyers from exercising their right to visit their clients in Israeli prisons, and to defend them before the Israeli Courts.

Furthermore, Mr Sourani discussed with the Minister the Palestinian State Security Court and introduced to him the stance of the Centre in opposing this Court due to its negative impact on the rule of law and the independence of the Palestinian judiciary. He also outlined the problems faced by the Palestinian judicial system, particularly the refusal of the executive authority and the law enforcement agencies to implement the decisions of the Courts.