PCHR organized a public meeting on Monday, 3 September 2007, on “The Death
Penalty under the PNA” in cooperation with Graduates Forum in Khan Yunis. The
meeting was held in the Forum’s office in Khan Yunis. Twenty graduates attended.
The Centre organized this event as part of its activities leading up to the UN
International Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October. In addition, it is
part of the Center’s campaign to increase public awareness and lobby for
abolishing the death penalty in the OPT and in Palestinian legislation.
Abd
El-Halim Abu Samra, PCHR’s Public Relations Coordinator in Khan Yunis, opened
the meeting by talking about the Centre, its units, services, and role in
defending human rights.
Hamdi Shaqoura, Director of PCHR’s Democratic Development Unit, talked about the
concept of the death penalty, and that it was not exclusive to the penalty
passed by courts, but includes other forms that must be confronted. He pointed
that extra-judicial executions by armed Palestinian groups against Palestinian
civilians are considered death penalties. In addition, he stated that
extra-judicial executions by Israeli forces against Palestinians also fall under
the death penalty category.
Shaqoura talked about the death penalty under the PNA, stating that a total of
76 death sentences were passed since 1994, twelve of which were carried out. He
noted that most of these sentences were passed by State Security Courts, which
are unconstitutional and do not fulfill the conditions of fair trial. Shaqoura
commended the decision issued by President Abbas in 2005 to retry the persons
sentenced to death by State Security Courts in civilian courts.
Shaqoura demanded that efforts be doubled to abolish the death penalty, which is
a violation of the right to life and a form of cruel and inhumane treatment. In
addition, Shaqoura stated that the death penalty does not deter crimes.
A
discussion followed Shaqoura’s intervention; and opinions differed between
participants in support of the death penalty and others against it.
It
is noted that PCHR organized a similar meeting on Wednesday, 29 August 2007, in
cooperation with Future Sun Benevolent Society in Khan Yunis in its offices.
Thirty members of the Future Sun Society and other civil society organizations
attended the meeting.
Note: This activity is part of a project funded by the EU
