Position Paper Issued by Lawyers for Justice Group Regarding the Violations and Arbitrary Measures Taken Against Striking Teachers in Palestine
Lawyers for Justice Group expresses deep concern regarding the punitive measures and escalating violations targeting teachers participating in the ongoing strike, which began on 13 October 2025, following the reduction of salaries to 50% since June 2025. This has placed thousands of teachers under severe financial hardship, compelling them to resort to strike action as a lawful and peaceful means to demand their legitimate financial and professional rights. The protest movement gradually escalated into a full strike after months of incomplete salary disbursement, alongside rising living costs that exceeded the actual income teachers received. As a result, many teachers lost their ability to sustain a decent standard of living and meet basic family commitments. Despite persistent appeals, the authorities have not meaningfully responded to teachers’ demands nor initiated a serious negotiation process. Instead, restrictive measures were adopted in an attempt to pressure teachers into ending the strike without addressing the root causes of the crisis. Based on data and testimonies collected through the electronic reporting form, Lawyers for Justice Group has monitored a wide range of violations targeting striking teachers—administrative, financial, security-related, and social. The most prominent recorded practices include: These practices reflect the transformation of administrative authority into a pressure and punitive tool, rather than a regulatory mechanism. Some of these violations rise to the level of serious interference with a constitutionally-protected right to strike, creating an unsafe environment for teachers. Lawyers for Justice Group stresses that the teachers’ strike is legal and legitimate, falling under the framework of Decree-Law No. (11) of 2017 regulating the right of public employees to strike, which explicitly permits strike action as a legitimate means of protest and rights-based demands. Therefore, classifying the strike as “unauthorized absenteeism” constitutes a misapplication of legal reference, and any punitive measures based on such classification are unlawful and subject to annulment. The teachers’ strike is protected under: Article (19) of the Palestinian Basic Law, which guarantees freedom of opinion and expression:“Freedom of opinion is guaranteed. Every person has the right to express their opinion and to publish it in speech, writing, or other means of expression or art, in accordance with the law.” Decree-Law No. 11 of 2017 regulating the right to strike in the civil service, which stands as the legal reference governing teachers’ strike cases. Any administrative or security measure aimed at pressuring, threatening, or retaliating against striking teachers constitutes a clear violation of constitutional rights and the law. Lawyers for Justice Group: ConclusionContinuing to address the teachers’ crisis through pressure and intimidation will not resolve the situation. Instead, it escalates tensions and undermines the rights of a sector that forms the backbone of the education system. Strike action is not disruption, but a legitimate outcry for rights—one that deserves respect, not punishment. Lawyers for Justice Group reaffirms its commitment to monitoring the situation legally and documenting all violations against teachers until their lawful demands are fully met.
Statement Issued by Lawyers for Justice On the Ongoing Prosecution of Activists from the “Enough, Telecom Companies!” Movement in the So-Called “15 Million Dollar Case”
Lawyers for Justice continues to monitor the ongoing trial of a group of activists and human rights defenders involved in the social movement “Enough, Telecom Companies!” in the civil lawsuit known as the “15 Million Dollar Case,” which was filed by the Palestinian Telecommunications Company against several activists over their posts and opinions calling for the reduction of telecommunications prices and an end to monopoly in this vital sector. Court sessions in this case have been ongoing for more than four years, amid serious concerns about the use of the judiciary as a tool to silence critical voices—especially since the activists’ expressions fall squarely within the right to freedom of opinion and expression, as well as the right to organize and engage in public accountability. Lawyers for Justice affirms that this case sets a dangerous precedent in attempting to intimidate civil society and activists from performing their oversight role and demanding people’s rights. It also imposes a significant legal and moral burden on those accused in the case. In this context, the organization calls on local and international human rights institutions, as well as bodies responsible for monitoring freedom of expression and the protection of human rights defenders, to attend the court session tomorrow, Tuesday, at the Magistrate’s Court in Ramallah, to closely monitor the proceedings and to exert pressure toward ending the prosecution of activists for their opinions and peaceful advocacy. Lawyers for JusticeRamallah – Palestine10/11/2025
Movement for a Dignified Life for Persons with Disabilities in Palestine
Enough, Telecom Companies Movement (Bikaffi ya Sharikat al-Ittisalat)
Combat Corruption Movement
We Want to Live Movement
The Palestinian Popular Conference Movement-14 Million
Palestinian Labor Movement
Movement Objecting To Judicial Authority Amendment
Cultural Institutions Movement
