Public Hearings by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel
As part of its mandate and its investigations, the Commission of Inquiry held a first series of public hearings from 7 to 11 November 2022, in Geneva. The hearings focused on the closure orders and terrorism designation of a number of Palestinian NGOs, and on the incident surrounding the killing of the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Victims, witnesses, civil society organizations, and legal representatives were invited to provide relevant testimony to the Commission in this forum. From 20 to 24 March 2023, the Commission organized a second round of hearings, in Geneva, which focused on the shrinking space for civil society in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, along with additional testimony on the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. The Commission heard from human rights defenders and activists, women human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, family members of victims, cultural activists, and individuals who have been subjected to, or witnessed, attacks, restrictions and harassment by authorities and non-State actors.
7 November 2022
Navi Pillay, Commission Chair
Khaled Quzmar, General Director, Defense for Children International – Palestine
Shawan Jabarin, General Director of Al-Haq
Sahar Francis, General Director, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
8 November 2022
Miloon Kothari, Commissioner
Tahreer Jaber, Executive Director, Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees
Ubai Al-Aboudi and Hanan Husein of Bisan Center for Research and Development
Abdallah Kamal, Senior Consultant, Union of Agricultural Work Committees (Original version in Arabic)
9 November 2022
Navi Pillay, Commission Chair
Ali Hassouneh, Acting General Manager, Health Work Committees (Original version in Arabic)
Michael Sfard, lawyer for Al-Haq
10 November 2022
Navi Pillay, Commission Chair
Naser Abubaker and Mohammed Attaallah-Al Lahham, Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (Original version in Arabic)
Lina Abu Akleh, niece of Shireen Abu Akleh
Ali Sammoudi (Original version in Arabic)
11 November 2022
Chris Sidoti, Commissioner
Shatha Hanyasha (Original version in Arabic)
Tatyana Eatwell, barrister acting on behalf of the family of Shireen Abu Akleh
Chris Sidoti, Commissioner
20 March 2023
Navi Pillay, Chairperson of the Commission
Salah Hammouri, Lawyer and Human Rights Defender
Neta Ben Porat, Human Rights Activist
Issa Amro, Human Rights Defender
Sami Huraini, Human Rights Defender
21 March 2023
Navi Pillay, Chairperson of the Commission
Israel Frey, Journalist
Ghasan Banat
24 March 2023
Miloon Kothari, Commissioner
Rodney Dixon, King's Counsel, Al Jazeera’s counsel, and Walied Omary, Al Jazeera’s Bureau Chief in Israel and Palestine
Maher Hanna, Lawyer
Chris Sidoti, Commissioner