31/05/2010
12/2010

Statement

In the early morning hours of Monday 31 May 2010, the Israeli Occupying Forces attacked the "Al Hurriah" flotilla which was headed to the Gaza Strip to show solidarity with its besieged citizens. The raid resulted in the death and injury of a number of peace activists and human rights defenders.

The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) denounces this Israeli attack and considers it as a violation of International Humanitarian Law and conventions relevant to the Law of the Sea, among which are the Geneva Convention of 1958, and the UN Convention of 1982, which guarantee the right of ships to safe passage. ICHR views the attack on human rights defenders as a violation of fundamental human rights including the right to life and physical safety, the right to peaceful assembly, the right to freedom of speech and expression as well as the rights of human rights defenders.

Therefore, ICHR calls on:

1. The United Nations to take all the necessary procedures to condemn this crime and stop the attack on human rights defenders and peace activists.
2. International bodies dedicated to the protection of human rights to take action and fulfill their role in standing against Israeli violations of human rights, as these constant violations reflect Israel as a state above the law.
3. The lifting of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and bringing its exacerbated humanitarian crisis to an end.