DaysofPal– The United Nations has cautioned that a proposed Israeli bill permitting the execution of Palestinian detainees would represent a serious violation of international law, amid mounting concern over the conditions faced by Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged Israeli authorities to halt efforts to advance the legislation, which would introduce the death penalty for Palestinian detainees in certain cases.
In a statement released late Friday, Türk called on the Israeli occupation to abandon the proposal, warning that it would establish mandatory death sentences applied exclusively to Palestinians.
Türk said the draft legislation raises multiple legal concerns, stressing that both its language and public remarks by Israeli officials suggest it is intended to target Palestinians alone. He also noted that Palestinians are often prosecuted in proceedings that fail to meet international standards for fair trials.
According to the High Commissioner, the bill would deepen discrimination against Palestinians and undermine fundamental legal safeguards, including the right to a fair trial. He added that the proposal would amount to violations of international human rights law as well as international humanitarian law.
Türk further emphasized that the measure would contravene legal norms governing criminal justice in occupied territories, particularly those regulating the use of capital punishment.
The warning comes as human rights organizations continue to report worsening conditions for Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody, prompting increased international attention to the Israeli detention and prison policies.
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