Maat presents three written interventions for the Human Rights Council
Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights participates in the activities of the 40th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is held from February 25 to March 22, 2019, Maat presented three written interventions under Item 3 of the Council's work, within the framework of the interactive dialogue today with each of the rapporteur The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and the Special Rapporteur on combating torture.
The first intervention focused on the escalation of the Israeli occupation forces from their systematic violations against human rights defenders, and the Foundation cited several cases of these violations, including intimidation and physical assault on human rights defenders Aref Jaber by the occupation forces in Hebron, in the southern West Bank. The authorities continued to prevent human rights workers' attempts to document the situation, by preventing them from entering the occupied Palestinian territories, including the “United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights situations” in the occupied Palestinian territories. An Amnesty International staff member was denied entry after being questioned about the organization’s work in relation to settlements.
The Maat Foundation revealed the obstacles and difficulties facing human rights defenders working in Qatar through government harassment, restrictions on travel and arbitrary arrest, and the Qatari authorities do not allow the work of independent human rights NGOs. On February 8, 2017, the Qatari authorities banned travel. Najeeb Al-Nuaimi, a human rights lawyer and former Minister of Justice, without presenting any reasons or charges against him.
Within the framework of the Foundation's interest in promoting respect for human rights in the African continent, Maat Foundation revealed in its second intervention that human rights defenders in Somalia have faced multiple forms of repression and attempts to stop their work. Democratic freedoms, such as the right to organize and form associations and freedom of opinion and expression, have become restricted in all parts of Somalia, and this has affected the work of local and international NGOs that face difficult and often dangerous working conditions, as the Somali authorities work to control civil society organizations and groups. Relief. Human rights defenders face many violations, as they are subjected to harassment, intimidation, unlawful or arbitrary arrest and detention at the hands of the Somali authorities.
Maat presented its third intervention to the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. During the intervention, Maat revealed that it had monitored the continuing practices of torture and ill-treatment in official and unofficial detention centers controlled by the Houthi militia. March 2018, under a family exchange deal, after more than three years he lived in the prisons of the Houthi militia in Sanaa.
During these interventions, Maat Foundation recommended the Qatari government to cancel the travel ban imposed on human rights defender Najeeb Al-Nuaimi, without restrictions or conditions, and to pressure the Qatari government to allow Qatari and international human rights organizations to operate without restrictions. The Foundation called for ensuring that all human rights defenders in Israel, in all circumstances, are able to carry out their legitimate work in the field of human rights without fear of reprisal and without any restrictions. The Foundation stressed the need for the international community, especially the United Nations, to press for the establishment of an independent monitoring committee to investigate crimes of torture and ill-treatment committed by the occupation authorities against Palestinian detainees, follow up on cases of torture and ill-treatment, and raise these cases to the competent authorities.
The news of the sessions can be followed daily and throughout the day on the Maat Newsletter through the following link:
The hashtag: #HRC40
#MAAT
G1903995
G1903997
G1904159
Human rights defenders in Somalia
Human rights defenders
Intervention on torture
English 
العربية