State of Palestine

Palestinian Center for Human Rights

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is an independent Palestinian human rights organisation based in Gaza City. It enjoys Consultative Status with the ECOSOC of the United Nations and is an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists (Geneva), the International Federation for Human Rights (Paris), the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (Copenhagen) and the Arab Organisation for Human Rights (Cairo).

PCHR was established by a group of Palestinian lawyers and human rights activists to:
– protect human rights and promote the rule of law in accordance with international standards;
– create and develop democratic institutions and an active civil society, while promoting democratic culture within Palestinian society;
– support all the efforts aimed at enabling the Palestinian people to exercise its inalienable rights in regard to self-determination and independence in accordance with
international law and UN resolutions.

The work of the Centre is conducted through documentation and investigation of human rights violations, provision of legal aid and counselling for individuals and groups, and preparation of research articles relevant to such issues as the human rights situation and the rule of law. PCHR also provides comments on Palestinian draft laws and urges the adoption of legislation that incorporates international human rights standards and basic democratic principles.

Following the first executions carried out by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in 2005, PCHR stated that capital punishment is an inadequate response to the disintegration of law and order within the areas under the control of the PNA. The Centre condemns the death penalty, irrelevant of the justification provided for imposing it, and holds that the right to life is sacrosanct.

Date founded

1995             

Structure type

NGO             

Contact informations

Jamal ‘Abdel Nasser “al-Thalathini” Street
Al-Roya Building- Floor 12 - Opposite to al-Azhar University - Near Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) - Dr. Haidar ‘Abdel Shafi
POBOX 1328 Gaza City
Phone +972 08 282 47 76
Fax +972 08 283 52 88

Resources

Document(s)

Palestine – Committee Against Torture – Death Penalty – June 2022

on 21 July 2022


2022

NGO report

World Coalition

State of Palestine


More details Download [ pdf - 1747 Ko ]

The State of Palestine on 1 April 2014 ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. On 28 December 2017, the State of Palestine signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. On 18 March 2019, the State of Palestine also ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which aims to abolish the death penalty. The State of Palestine has not yet abolished the death penalty. Indeed-as described herein-the 14 June 2007 split in power between the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah in the West Bank under President Abbas, and the Hamas movement in Gaza, has been followed by many documented executions in Gaza without the requisite signature of President Abbas, and Gazan military courts conduct trials of civilians, where they can be sentenced to death.

This report considers the prevalence of torture and other issues ancillary to the death penalty itself: confessions under torture or degrading treatment, due process, access to legal counsel, death-row conditions, and methods of execution.

  • Document type NGO report / World Coalition
  • Countries list State of Palestine

News

The State of Palestine commits to abolishing the death penalty

Video about the death penalty in the Palestinian Territories