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Home > Journals and Magazines > Journals > IBPP > Vol. 7 (1999) > Iss. 13 (1999)

 

IBPP Research Associates: Palestinian Human Rights

Abstract

LAW is a Palestinian human rights organization based in Jerusalem. It was founded in 1990 by a group of Palestinian lawyers to promote human rights and further the principles of the rule of law, and to defend Palestinian rights in accordance with international human rights law and United Nations declarations. LAW is affiliate to the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Federation Internationale des Ligues de Droits de l'Homme (FIDH), and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).

This LAW Item - originally posted on the LAW website (http://www.lawsociety.org) in late September 1999 - discusses and condemns the arrest of journalists by members of the Palestinian Civilian Police on September 28, 1999. According to the article, the action of the Palestinian police violate[d] Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights[,] and Articles 3 & 4 of the Palestinian Press Law of 1995.

IBPP Commentary. While the world's attention continues to largely focus on a sort of zero-sum game between the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Israel, an extremely important quest to establish human and civil rights consonant with international law is ongoing throughout PNA-controlled territory. Of utmost significance are the difficulties such a quest faces in the context of a literal struggle for national existence. History shows us that in many other such struggles, human and civil rights are often severely curtailed or given cursory attention. Political psychologists should closely follow the fate of human and civil rights as influenced by organizations like LAW and by the "facts on the ground" as the latter continue to change.

All rights to the article were reserved by The Law Society. They may be contacted at: http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/get-in-touch/.

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