OMCT condemns sanctions against the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory

'These sanctions are an unacceptable attempt to silence the needed discussion on the legal responsibility over the atrocities presently committed with full impunity by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,' said Gerald Staberock, Secretary General. 'They are equally a frontal attack on the universal human rights system itself,' he adds.

The OMCT recalls that the United Nations have given the Special Rapporteur the mandate to document, report, and speak out on the violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the very reason she has now been placed on a sanctions list.

The US sanctions system was meant to target those committing international crimes but is now cynically diverted to silence those speaking out on these very crimes when calling on states to comply with their obligations under the ICC Statute. It is time to protect the work of the International Criminal Court and those who engage with it, and to enact measures to ensure its ability to operate, including through blocking statutes. We also call on states to join leading UN officials, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who have spoken out to protect the independence of UN human rights mandates and its protection system.

Ultimately, measures such as this one cannot and must not prevent accountability of Israel over gross human rights violations, including widespread torture and abuse, and international crimes, including the duty of all states to prevent and end genocide in Gaza.

For further information, contact: OMCT