Drop Charges Against Human Rights Defender Issa Amro
Go to the action page for more opportunities to help us protect Issa from the military court.
Issa Amro is the co-founder of Youth Against Settlements in Hebron and is formally recognized as Palestinian Human Rights Defender. He has been convicted by an Israeli military court for his peaceful community organizing.
The 18 charges presented by Israeli authorities have been labeled "baseless," "politically moticated," or "physically impossible" by Amnesty International and UN experts have expressed deep concern for Issa's life and wellbeing.
In early January, Issa was convicted on six charges, including three counts of "participating in a protest without a permit." The judge has scheduled a hearing for February 8th in Ofer Military Court where he will publicly announce the sentencing. He may face years in prison.
SIGN THE PETITION below to call for international protection of Issa Amro and for the Israeli authorities to drop the baseless charges.
SIGN THE PETITION
To: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
Cc: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen
We, the undersigned, write to express grave concern at the continued prosecution of Issa Amro, who is considered a community leader and nonviolent activist in his hometown Hebron in the West Bank. Mr. Amro has been formally recognized as a Human Rights Defender by the European Union and was the previous recipient of the UN’s “Human Rights Defender of the Year in Palestine” award. Mr. Amro currently faces 18 charges, which Amnesty International has described as “baseless” and “politically motivated,” in an Israeli military court. Independent UN human rights experts have expressed concern that Mr. Amro is “being unfairly targeted due to his legitimate and peaceful human rights work.” We are concerned that Mr. Amro will not receive a fair and impartial verdict in the Israeli military court, which has a conviction rate of 99.74%. In light of these facts, we call on you to use all political tools at your disposal to call on the relevant Israeli authorities to drop the charges against Mr. Amro. We call on you to offer international protection for Amro and all other Palestinian human rights defenders prosecuted in the Israeli military court system.
As citizens of the world we believe in the universal right to peaceful protest and nonviolent political engagement. Mr. Issa Amro is widely recognized as a principled Human Rights Defender and should not be put on trial for his peaceful community organizing. We are gravely concerned that he is being prosecuted on exaggerated and politically-motivated charges. If Amro is imprisoned by Israeli forces, we call on you to formally consider him a prisoner of conscience.
