ALBAWABA - The United Nations decried Israel's expulsion of French-Palestinian human rights lawyer Salah Hammouri adding that it may constitute a "war crime" under the Geneva Convention.
Israel jailed Hammouri without charge under its so-called administrative detention, which allows suspects to be detained for renewable periods of up to six months. On Sunday, the 37-year-old was deported to France.
Salah Hammouri, cruelly & illegally expelled from his homeland & city of his birth Jerusalem, receives a hero’s welcome at Paris airport. #SolidarityWithPalestine. pic.twitter.com/NREA0DX7ze
— Hanan Ashrawi (@DrHananAshrawi) December 18, 2022
"Deporting a protected person from occupied territory is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, constituting a war crime," U.N. human rights spokesman Jeremy Laurence said in a statement.
"This is an expression of Israeli authorities' chilling long-term policy aim of reducing the number of Palestinians in East Jerusalem," according to Heba Morayef, MENA Regional Director at Amnesty International.
While Macron was busy at World Cup, Ireland is the only country standing up for human rights lawyer Salah Hammouri. pic.twitter.com/V0Xg7bh1l2
— Bint (@PalBint) December 20, 2022
Salah Hammouri was notified on Nov. 30 that he will be deported to France on Dec 4 – the date his current administrative detention order expires. Salah has been detained without charge or trial since last March, under a three-month administrative detention order that has been repeatedly renewed.
The activist's wife was barred since January 2016 from entering Israel or the Occupied West Bank to visit him.