GENEVA, Jan 2 (KUNA) - - The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk on Friday called on the Israeli occupation authorities to drop a bill that would impose mandatory death sentences exclusively on Palestinians both in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel.
In a statement issued in Geneva, Turk said the proposals violate international humanitarian law norms that relate to penal procedures and imposition of the death penalty against residents of an occupied territory.
He warned that "denying any Palestinian from the West Bank and Gaza the fair trial guarantees set out in the Fourth Geneva Convention amounts to a war crime." He said that proposals before the Israeli Knesset to lower the threshold for using capital punishment raise a serious concern regarding discrimination against Palestinians and violations of their right to a fair trial as well as other breaches of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
He stressed that "such proposals are inconsistent with Israel's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In particular, the introduction of mandatory death sentences, which leave no discretion to the courts, and violate the right to life." Turks described the proposed law as discriminatory, noting that the language of the legislation along with statements made by Israeli politicians, indicates that it is intended to target only Palestinians, who are often convicted after unfair trials. The proposal therefore raises additional human rights concerns.
He explained that proposed changes would amend the military law applicable to the occupied West Bank and require military courts to impose mandatory death penalties for all convictions for intentional killing in the occupied West Bank.
Turk also noted that the legislation would amend the Israeli Penal Law and introduce the death penalty for the intentional killing of Israelis, adding that such legislation would also have the effect of applying the death penalty retroactively to those convicted of the attacks on 7 October 2023 in violation of the principle of legality enshrined in international law.
Furthermore, he expressed concern also regarding the proposed changes to the use of capital punishment including provisions for acts of "terrorism, racism or hostility towards the public", which are defined vaguely and overly broadly.
The UN official reiterated the clear position of the United Nations on opposing the death penalty under all circumstances, saying that "It is profoundly difficult to reconcile such punishment with human dignity and raises the unacceptable risk of executing innocent people. (end) imk.ibi