UN rights chief urges US to withdraw sanctions on Palestinian NGOs

Volker Turk warns that the US sanctions over ICC cooperation could have a ‘chilling effect’ on civil society globally.

United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk has rejected United States sanctions on Palestinian rights groups as “unacceptable”, calling for them to be revoked amid global outrage against the US move.

Turk, on Friday, lauded the work of the nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) targeted by the US for their cooperation with the International Criminal Court – Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights.

“For decades now, these NGOs have been performing vital human rights work, particularly on accountability for human rights violations,” he said.

“I urge the US Government to withdraw immediately these sanctions.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had designated the Palestinian groups for sanctions on Thursday, blocking their assets and banning American citizens from engaging in financial transactions with them.

“These entities have directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent,” Rubio said in a statement.

Over the past months, Washington has imposed sanctions on several ICC judges and officials, as well as UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese, for seeking accountability for Israel’s abuses.

Last year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes charges in Gaza, including using starvation as a weapon of war.

The US, under then-President Joe Biden, was quick to reject the charges, arguing that Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC.

But the court asserted its jurisdiction over alleged war crimes in Gaza because they occurred in the state of Palestine, which had joined the court in 2015.

Rubio reiterated the US position in his announcement on Thursday.

“This administration has been clear: the United States and Israel are not party to the Rome Statute and are therefore not subject to the ICC’s authority,” the top US diplomat said.

“Such attacks on NGOs working to promote the respect for human rights run directly counter to respect for the rule of law and other values which the US has long stood for and promoted,” he said. “The sanctions will have a chilling effect not only on civil society in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, but potentially globally.”

Earlier on Friday, a coalition of Palestinian and Israeli rights groups, including B’Tselem, released a statement backing the targeted NGOs.

“We stand in full solidarity with our colleagues and partners working for human rights between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, and especially in the face of the genocide that Israel is committing in the Gaza Strip,” the groups said.