Head of Palestinian Group Al-Haq Barred from Entering France
Shawan Jabarin, the general director of the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, was denied a visa by French authorities, preventing him from attending critical briefings at the French parliament, the French foreign ministry, and the Council of Europe. This marks the second visa refusal since September, following US sanctions against Al-Haq for its alleged involvement in International Criminal Court proceedings against Israel. Although Jabarin previously received France’s human rights prize in 2018 and met President Emmanuel Macron in 2022, his recent application was rejected on grounds that he poses a threat to public order or internal security. Al-Haq condemned the decision as contradictory to France’s prior recognition of their work and indicative of active international complicity in ongoing atrocities in Palestine. While Dutch authorities granted Jabarin limited travel access to the Netherlands and Belgium, the French ban significantly disrupted advocacy efforts. The incident highlights growing diplomatic tensions surrounding Palestinian civil society groups, particularly after Israel designated Al-Haq as a terrorist organization in 2021, a claim European countries previously found unsubstantiated.
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Head of Palestinian Group Al-Haq Barred from Entering France
Shawan Jabarin, the general director of the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, was denied a visa by French authorities, preventing him from attending critical briefings at the French parliament, the French foreign ministry, and the Council of Europe. This marks the second visa refusal since September, following US sanctions against Al-Haq for its alleged involvement in International Criminal Court proceedings against Israel. Although Jabarin previously received France’s human rights prize in 2018 and met President Emmanuel Macron in 2022, his recent application was rejected on grounds that he poses a threat to public order or internal security. Al-Haq condemned the decision as contradictory to France’s prior recognition of their work and indicative of active international complicity in ongoing atrocities in Palestine. While Dutch authorities granted Jabarin limited travel access to the Netherlands and Belgium, the French ban significantly disrupted advocacy efforts. The incident highlights growing diplomatic tensions surrounding Palestinian civil society groups, particularly after Israel designated Al-Haq as a terrorist organization in 2021, a claim European countries previously found unsubstantiated.
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