{"id":311461,"date":"2025-09-22T12:10:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T16:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=311461"},"modified":"2025-09-22T12:10:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T16:10:32","slug":"un-experts-press-release-22sep25","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/un-experts-press-release-22sep25\/","title":{"rendered":"UN experts dismayed by US sanctions against Palestinian human rights organisations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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To learn more about Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and the Question of Palestine, click here to visit the dedicated webpage.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

22 September 2025<\/p>\n

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The decision by the United States to sanction three leading Palestinian human rights organisations, Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, as part of its campaign to undermine the International Criminal Court\u2019s (ICC) work on Israel, is alarming and represents a direct attack on international justice, UN experts* warned today.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese three organisations are among the oldest and most effective and reliable in covering human rights violations and abuses by all parties in the occupied Palestinian territories \u2013 they have been represented in international venues and they are globally respected,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n

Al Haq, Al Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights have filed observations to the ICC and provided documentation of Israeli violations against civilians in Gaza.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new sanctions on these key Palestinian organisations pursuant to Executive Order 14203 come at a time when many countries have begun to voice strong condemnation of Israeli attacks and killings of civilians in Gaza, the targeting of journalists and medical personnel, and restrictions on food aid resulting in famine being declared in the besieged enclave,\u201d the experts said. \u201cSanctioning organisations for denouncing human rights violations is a blatant violation of the rights to freedom of expression and association.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch of the international recognition of Israel\u2019s violations in Gaza is owed to the tireless work of Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and others, which have documented and exposed the reality on the ground at a time when foreign journalists and observers are barred from entry,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n

The sanctions follow those imposed on Addameer, a Palestinian human rights organisation which promotes and protects prisoners\u2019 rights, and which was added to the United States\u2019 Specially Designated Nationals list in June 2025. \u201cSanctions and designations are being misused in an effort to silence pro-Palestine voices and hinder international accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese organisations deserve to be supported and funded precisely because of their work at this time on Israeli violations in Gaza and in the West Bank,\u201d they said. \u201cIt is disgraceful that the US has chosen to do the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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*The experts:<\/strong><\/p>\n