2017-12-27

West Bank

Human Rights Defenders / West Bank

Date: 27/12/2017

Mr. President Mahmoud Abbas
President of the State of Palestine
Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization

Subject: Stop the legislation violating the human rights of the Palestinian people, in support of their steadfastness against the escalation by the occupying power and the ominous US decision on Jerusalem

The Palestinian civil society extend their warmest greetings to you and they wish you a happy new year, hoping that the people would arrive at their aspirations to liberate their Palestinian state, Jerusalem as its capital, from the Israeli colonial occupation.

The undersigned civil society organizations assert that they opt for not pressuring the Palestinian government, given its negative approach towards its partnership with the Palestinian civil society in light of the escalation by the colonial state against the Palestinian citizens, and in view of the ominous declaration of the American administration. We are sending your Excellency this letter requesting the non-ratification of the Draft Decree-Law Amending the Decree-Law on Cybercrime No. 16 for the year 2017, as it does not take into consideration the fundamental remarks made by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and is inconsistent with the international human rights conventions to which the State of Palestine has acceded without any reservation. In addition, we call on your Excellency to suspend the issuance of any draft decree-laws that would violate the human rights of Palestinians and restrict their basic freedoms.

Dear Mr. President,

After reviewing the legislation currently being drafted by the Government without the participation of civil society, it can be clearly observed that they entail flagrant violations of rights and freedoms, which does not comply with the obligations of the State of Palestine under the international conventions it has acceded-to, and it goes against the genuine partnership and openness to civil society expressed in the national policies agenda.

In light of the current situation, standing up to the escalated colonial actions by the occupying power and to the atrocious decision of the American administration, we believe that all legislation and executive procedures that would restrict or violate Palestinian human rights and fundamental freedoms should be suspended. Instead, action should be taken towards the honest participation of all components of the Palestinian society, embodying a genuine national unity and supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people while maintaining their dignity as well as the basic rights and freedoms they are entitled-to.

With all due respect,

The signatories: