UN Experts Slam US Sanctions on Palestinian Rights Groups as ‘Attack on Justice’

English , Snippets , / Monday, September 22nd, 2025

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Source: Anadolu Agency

UN experts on Monday condemned Washington’s decision to sanction three prominent Palestinian human rights organizations, calling it a “direct attack on international justice.” The groups – Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights – were blacklisted under Executive Order 14203 as part of the US campaign to counter the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigations into Israel.
“These organizations are among the oldest, most effective, and widely respected for documenting human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories,” the experts said, noting that their submissions to the ICC include evidence of Israeli violations against civilians in Gaza.
The experts warned that sanctions come at a time when global criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza is rising, including condemnation of attacks on civilians, journalists, and medical personnel, as well as restrictions on food aid that have pushed the enclave to the brink of famine. “Sanctioning organizations for denouncing human rights violations is a blatant breach of the rights to freedom of expression and association,” they stressed, adding that such measures are being misused to silence pro-Palestinian voices and obstruct accountability efforts.
They emphasized that Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights deserve international support and funding “precisely because of their work on Israeli violations in Gaza and the West Bank.” Instead, the US has chosen to undermine their efforts. “It is disgraceful that Washington has opted to punish organizations that uphold international law, rather than back their mission for justice,” the experts concluded.