We Want to Live Movement
The Palestinian Popular Conference Movement-14 Million
Palestinian Labor Movement
Movement Objecting To Judicial Authority Amendment
Cultural Institutions Movement
“Enough is Enough” (Tafah el-Kail) Movement
The Unified Palestinian Movement
Lawyers for Justice Participates in Consultative Meeting Held by the Ministry of Justice on Reviewing the Cybercrime Law
Lawyers for Justice took part today in the consultative meeting convened by the Ministry of Justice to discuss and review the Cybercrime Law currently in force in Palestine. The meeting brought together representatives of State of Palestine institutions, civil society organizations, and legal experts. During the meeting, the group delivered its legal intervention, emphasizing the need to amend provisions that pose a threat to freedom of opinion, expression, and civic activity. The group also stressed the importance of aligning the law with international human rights standards and treaties to which the State of Palestine is a party—particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This participation forms part of Lawyers for Justice’s ongoing efforts to promote a legal environment that safeguards public freedoms and protects human rights defenders, while rejecting the use of legislation as a tool to restrict freedoms or prosecute activists and journalists.
Statement by Lawyers for Justice Regarding the Announcement of the Winner of the Nizar Banat Human Rights Defenders Award for 2025
Lawyers for Justice announces the selection of Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, a prisoner from the Gaza Strip, as the recipient of the Nizar Banat Award for At-Risk Human Rights Defenders in its inaugural edition. The award was launched by the group on the fourth anniversary of the assassination of human rights activist and political dissident Nizar Banat, in honor of his legacy and struggle for freedom and dignity. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya was chosen following a thorough evaluation process conducted by an independent jury composed of prominent human rights experts. The selection was based on clear criteria, including the nominee’s track record in human rights work, the level of threats and risks faced, place of residence, and the continuity of their activism. Dr. Abu Safiya is a leading physician and human rights defender in Gaza. He is currently detained by the Israeli occupation authorities and lost one of his children during the recent aggression on the Strip. Despite his imprisonment, he continues his struggle from behind bars. The group affirms that this award aims to shed light on the sacrifices made by human rights defenders, particularly in the face of the ongoing genocide against civilians in Gaza and the suppression of freedoms. It also seeks to highlight the suffering of political prisoners and those who defend dignity under fire and bombardment. Lawyers for Justice extends its salute to all shortlisted nominees and considers them partners in the struggle to defend human rights. June 29, 2025Lawyers for Justice
Statement by Lawyers for Justice On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
Today, June 26, 2025, marks the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. This day comes at a time when the crime of genocide against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip continues for the second consecutive year, alongside the ongoing settler attacks targeting cities and villages in the occupied West Bank. On this occasion, renewed attention is drawn to the crimes of torture faced by hundreds of individuals each year—especially prisoners and detainees who have experienced incarceration, often accompanied by physical and psychological torture. In this context, the group highlights the alarming escalation in the use of physical and psychological torture against Palestinian prisoners, particularly those who have been detained by Israeli occupation forces after October 7, 2023. Numerous direct testimonies have been documented from Palestinian prisoners who reported unprecedented physical and psychological torture, starting from the moment of arrest, continuing through interrogation, and even during periods of detention in prisons or temporary detention centers, according to verified testimonies from recently released individuals. Additionally, prisoners suffer from systematic ill-treatment, including medical neglect, denial of basic rights, and harsh conditions that amount to inhuman and degrading treatment. Over the past two years, human rights institutions have reported the death of nearly 65 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention facilities, including approximately 40 from Gaza and 25 from the West Bank. The group emphasizes that these figures remain estimations, given the continued Israeli policy of media blackout and refusal to provide accurate information about the fate of hundreds of detainees, especially from Gaza, many of whom remain unaccounted for. These cases include individuals who died as a result of torture and ill-treatment or were subjected to extrajudicial executions after arrest. This demands immediate intervention to halt these crimes and hold the perpetrators accountable to ensure justice for the victims. Torture in Palestinian Authority Detention Centers Despite the Palestinian Authority’s ratification of the Convention Against Torture and its issuance of Law by Decree No. 25 of 2023, recent years—particularly since 2023—have witnessed a concerning continuation of torture practices within detention centers operated by Palestinian security agencies. Dozens of cases have been documented in which detainees were subjected to physical and psychological torture during arrest or detention, including severe beatings, stress positions, insults, and denial of medical care. Many torture-related cases remain under judicial review within the Palestinian courts without resulting in genuine accountability for those responsible for these violations. The facts indicate a significant gap between the legal commitments made by the Palestinian Authority under the Convention Against Torture and the actual practices on the ground. The principle of non-impunity remains unenforced, and judicial procedures lack the effectiveness and independence necessary to ensure justice for victims. This reality entrenches a state of official complicity and silence, undermines public trust in the justice system, and poses a serious threat to human rights and the rule of law in the Palestinian territories. On this occasion, Lawyers for Justice stresses the importance of respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms—foremost among them the right to humane treatment—and the absolute rejection of torture under any circumstance or justification.The group emphasizes that this commitment requires official bodies to activate the legal and procedural tools necessary to hold accountable anyone proven to be involved in acts of torture and to bring them to justice, in line with the provisions of the Palestinian Basic Law and the international conventions to which the State of Palestine has acceded—chief among them the Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Allowing these violations to persist without accountability strips the law of its meaning and renders legal texts mere theoretical commitments with no practical application, thereby entrenching a culture of impunity and undermining the foundations of justice and the rule of law. Achieving justice for victims and prosecuting those responsible for acts of torture is the cornerstone of building a legal system where human dignity is upheld, and rights and freedoms are protected. EndLawyers for JusticeIssued on 26-06-2025