The United Nations’ top human rights official has called on Israeli authorities to abandon plans for new legislation that would impose mandatory death sentences exclusively on Palestinians, warning that the proposals violate international law and fundamental human rights standards.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said a series of draft proposals before Israel’s Knesset raised grave concerns over discrimination, violations of due process, and breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law.
“When it comes to the death penalty, the United Nations is very clear, and opposes it under all circumstances,” Türk said. “It is profoundly difficult to reconcile such punishment with human dignity and raises the unacceptable risk of executing innocent people.”
The proposals would lower the threshold for applying capital punishment and introduce mandatory death sentences that would leave courts with no discretion, Türk said, adding that such measures violate the right to life and are inconsistent with Israel’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“The proposal also raises other human rights concerns, including on the basis that it is discriminatory given it will exclusively apply to Palestinians,” he added.
According to the UN rights chief, the language of the proposed legislation, as well as statements by Israeli politicians, indicate it is intended to apply only to Palestinians, who are often convicted following unfair trials.
