Israeli Occupation Authorities Renew Ban Orders on Travel and Movement Issued Against Addameer's Chairman of the Board of Directors

The Israeli Occupation Authorities renewed ban orders on travel and access to the West Bank from Jerusalem issued against Addameer’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, Abed al-Lateif Ghaith. The order against his access to the West Bank is valid from 14 April 2020 until 13 October 2020, as for the travel ban it was also renewed for a six-month period ending on 18 October 2020.

It is worth mentioning that the ban order against Ghaith’s access to the West Bank was first issued on 9 October 2011 and has been continually renewed since then. In fact, both orders against his travel and movement were constantly renewed since 2011, though, recently the renewed period was temporarily and only for one month. Addameer appealed the last renewed orders, however, the appeal was rejected by the occupation authorities. Actually, the occupation authorities in these last renewed orders alleges that the ban orders are necessary to maintain security and public order.

Abed al-Lateif Ghaith is 78 years old, he is known Jerusalemite and one of the founders of Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association in Jerusalem back in 1992, and he currently the chairman of its board of directors. Furthermore, Ghaith is a well-known human rights defender who played a great role is defending Jerusalem and the West Bank, he also spent a number of years under administrative detention without any charges or a trail.

The Israeli occupation’s discriminatory policy of the dial of movement is a systematic and wide-spread policy against Palestinian. It is a violation of several humanitarian and human rights treaties and conventions. For instance, the dial of the right to movement is a violation of Article 13 of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights and Article 12 of the International Convention for Civil and Political Rights. Furthermore, it forms a violation of Article 5 of the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, which was ratified by the occupying state back in 1979. All of the mentioned conventions and treaties protects the right of freedom of movement in and outside individuals’ countries. The constant issuance and renewal of ban orders against the movement of Gaith form an ongoing violation of his back rights and a proof of this systematic discriminatory policy against Palestinians.