The United Nation experts, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Spain, among others, have condemned a law approved by Israel’s parliament permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners.
The General Secretariat of the OIC, which consists of 57 member states, strongly condemned the move. It described it as dangerous and unprecedented, saying it grants a licence for murder and political execution against the Palestinian people.
The group said the law violates international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The OIC General Secretariat warned of the gravity of the crimes to which thousands of Palestinian prisoners are subjected in Israeli occupation prisons, including torture, ill-treatment, humiliation, terror, rape, starvation, the systematic deprivation of the most basic human rights, and the direct targeting of their lives, as an extension of the ongoing crime of genocide committed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem).
The OIC called on the international community, including the United Nations, international human rights organizations, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, to take necessary measures against the so-called Israeli law, ensure accountability, push for the repeal of the law, protect Palestinian prisoners, and work towards their release.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government condemns the death penalty against Palestinians approved by Israel’s parliament, calling it an asymmetric measure that would not be applied to Israelis committing the same offence.
“Same crime, different penalty. That is not justice. It is one more step toward apartheid,” he said.
Sánchez added that the international community should not remain silent in response to the move.
Switzerland said it was deeply concerned over the adoption of Israel’s death penalty law, according to a statement by its foreign ministry.
The Swiss foreign ministry said it had raised the issue with Israeli authorities and urged them to revoke the law, restore the long-standing moratorium and uphold their obligations under international human rights law.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Council Special Procedures, UN experts Francesca Albanese and Ben Saul said: “We strongly condemn the Israeli Knesset’s adoption of the death penalty law, despite blunt incompatibility with international law.” They warned that “the law solely targets Palestinians living under occupation, authorizing military courts to impose mandatory death sentences, with executions by hanging within 90 days,” adding that “these measures, including the denial of pardon, undermines fair trial guarantees and may amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” The experts added that “the Israeli death penalty law entrenches racial discrimination and apartheid and must be repealed immediately.”
Earlier, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom said on March 29 they were deeply concerned about a bill in Israel that would significantly expand the use of the death penalty and could be voted into law the following week.
“We are particularly worried about the de facto discriminatory character of the bill. The adoption of this bill would risk undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles,” they said in a joint statement.
“The death penalty is an inhumane and degrading punishment, without any deterrent or preventive effect whatsoever. This is why we oppose the death penalty in all circumstances around the world,” they added.
They urged Israeli decision-makers in the Knesset and government to abandon the plans.