The Centre is an independent Palestinian human rights organization (registered as a non-profit Ltd. Company) based in Gaza City. The Centre enjoys Consultative Status with the ECOSOC of the United Nation. It is an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists-Geneva; the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) – Pairs; member of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network – Copenhagen; member of the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) – Stockholm; member of the Arab Organization for Human Rights – Cairo; and member of the World Coalition against the Death Penalty – Rome. It is a recipient of the 1996 French Republic Award on Human Rights, the 2002 Bruno Kreisky Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Area of Human Rights and the 2003 International Service Human Rights Award (UNAIS). The Centre was established in 1995 by a group of Palestinian lawyers and human rights activists in order to:
The work of the Centre is conducted through documentation and investigation of human rights violations, provision of legal aid and counseling for both individuals and groups, and preparation of research articles relevant to such issues as the human rights situation and the rule of law. The Centre also provides comments on Palestinian Draft Laws and urges the adoption of legislation that incorporates international human rights standards and basic democratic principles. To achieve its goals, the Centre has recruited a committed staff of well-known human rights lawyers and activists.
Dr. Riad Al-Zanoun
Mr. Jaber Wishah
Ms. Nadia Abu Nahla
Mr. Hashem Al-Thalathini
Mr. Raji Sourani
Ms. Heba Akkila
Raji Sourani
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights is an independent legal body dedicated to the protection of human rights, the promotion of the rule of law, and the upholding of democratic principles in the Occupied Territories. Most of the Centre’s activities and interests concentrate on the Gaza Strip due to the restriction on movement between the West Bank and Gaza Strip imposed by the Israeli government and its military apparatus.