The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
The Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, concluded today a first series of public hearings held during the past week at the United Nations in Geneva. These hearings were part of the Commission’s ongoing investigative work, including for upcoming reports.
“This week, we looked at two particular subsets or categories within this broad framework”, said Chris Sidoti, Commission Member. “The first dealt with the designations of seven Palestinian non-government organizations, human rights organizations, as unlawful organisations and six of them as terrorist organisations,” he explained.
Mr. Sidoti added that “the second thing that we looked at was the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. So, these are not the sole focus of our investigation at all, but rather we see them as particularly significant in giving us a better understanding of the overall situation of civic space, civil society and throughout that region, throughout the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.”
During the past week, 13 witnesses and victims of civil society organizations and legal representatives provided relevant testimony to the three Commissioners Navi Pillay, Chris Sidoti and Miloon Kothari in this forum. One of them is Lina Abu Akleh who has been seeking justice and accountability for the killing of her aunt, the Al Jazeera veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, on 11 May 2022.
“Lina Abu Akleh talked about the events at the funeral of her aunt Shireen Abu Akleh, and that gave us a great deal of additional insight into how the family related to the Israeli authorities and what occurred on the day of the funeral”, reported Mr. Sidoti. “I am hearing directly from Ali Sammoudi, who was the second journalist who was shot, not killed but shot on the same day, was very important to get a better understanding of what occurred during those terrible hours when Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and died.”
The public hearings provided not only the Commission with important insights, but they also gave a public voice to those who have been suffering and haven’t been heard in the past.
“It is really important for these public hearings to be held because it allows us the space to share our testimonies, the experience and the suffering we had to endure over the past six months, but also it allows our voices to get across and our messages and our demands. It’s because it’s unfortunate that the Commission of Inquiry cannot access the territories”, said Lina Abu Akleh.
Shireen’s death sparked outrage and condemnation as the journalist had been covering an Israeli security operation in the city of Jenin in the Palestinian territories when she was killed.
“The lack of accountability, the lack of justice is what pushed me to advocate for my aunt Shireen”, said Lina Abu Akleh. “It’s the importance of getting justice and getting her message across, is what continues to push me towards our pursuit”,
In May 2021, the Commission of Inquiry was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since 13 April 2021.
-ends-
Commission of Inquiry on the OPT and Israel - Public Hearings
STORY: Wrap-up Commission of Inquriy on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel – Public Hearings
TRT: 2 mins 31s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 11 November 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Wide shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
- Wide shot, UN conference room with panel of speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH)-Chris SIDOTI, Member of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel: “This week, we looked at two particular subsets or categories within this broad framework. The first dealt with the designations of seven Palestinian non-government organizations, human rights organizations, as unlawful organisations and six of them as terrorist organisations.”
- Medium shot, Commissioner Chris Sidoti and Commissioner Miloon Kothari.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH)-Chris SIDOTI, Member of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel: “And the second thing that we looked at was the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. So, these are not the sole focus of our investigation at all, but rather we see them as particularly significant in giving us a better understanding of the overall situation of civic space, civil society and throughout that region, throughout the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.”
- Close-up shot, photographer taking photos.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH)-Chris SIDOTI, Member of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel: “Lina Abu Akleh talked about the events at the funeral of her aunt Shireen Abu Akleh, and that gave us a great deal of additional insight into how the family related to the Israeli authorities and what occurred on the day of the funeral. I am hearing directly from Ali Sammoudi, who was the second journalist who was shot, not killed but shot on the same day, was very important to get a better understanding of what occurred during those terrible hours when Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and died.”
- Medium shot, Lina Abu Akleh speaking.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Lina Abu Akleh, Advocate for justice and accountability for the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh: “It is really important for these public hearings to be held because it allows us the space to share our testimonies, the experience and the suffering we had to endure over the past six months, but also it allows our voices to get across and our messages and our demands. It’s because it’s unfortunate that the Commission of Inquiry cannot access the territories.”
- Medium shot, conference room with media representatives.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Lina Abu Akleh, Advocate for justice and accountability for the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh: “The lack of accountability, the lack of justice is what pushed me to advocate for my aunt Shireen. It’s the importance of getting justice and getting her message across, is what continues to push me towards our pursuit.”
- Close-up shot, man taking photos.
- Medium shot, Lina Abu Akleh speaking.
- Wide shot, conference room, screen showing Lina Abu Akleh speaking.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNHCR , WHO
The past two months of intensifying Israeli bombardment in Lebanon have been the “deadliest and most devastating” in decades as communities uprooted from the front line have continued to flee across the border to Syria, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
2
1
3
Edited News | UNOG
“State of Silence”: Diego Luna brings the fight to protect the press to the UN in Geneva
Mexican actor, producer and director Diego Luna has brought his fight to protect journalists all the way to the United Nations, in Geneva. Together with documentary director Santiago Masa, he is putting a spotlight on the silencing of investigative journalism in his country, and on the incredibly high price that many journalist have to pay in pursuit of truth.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“Today marks the grim milestone of 1,000 days since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale armed attack on Ukraine. Our Office has verified that at least 12,162 civilians have been killed since 24 February 2022, among them 659 children. At least another 26,919 civilians have been injured,” UN Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurance told the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
With COP29 in Baku now in its second - and final - week, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has reiterated his call for urgent human rights-based climate action.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL , UNICEF , WHO
Lebanon: Increased violence along Blue Line and ‘horrific new normal’ for children
In southern Lebanon, peacekeepers have witnessed “shocking” destruction of villages along the Blue Line and ever-deeper Israeli ground incursions, while the situation of children across the country is becoming increasingly desperate, the UN said on Tuesday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | UNRWA
The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, confirmed on Monday that a large convoy of humanitarian aid was looted inside Gaza at the weekend, amid a near-total a breakdown in law and order and harassment of the agency’s staff by Israeli soldiers.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
In the nearly 1,000 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, thousands of civilians have been killed, the country’s energy infrastructure is on the brink and drones terrify communities on the front line, the UN’s top aid official in the country said on Friday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | OHCHR
Mexican actor, producer and director Diego Luna took a break from the big screen on Thursday to highlight the dangers faced by journalists in his country and beyond, condemning murders of reporters everywhere as “a scandal”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
Gaza: ‘People are losing hope’ as aid access is refused to north, warns UNRWA
Besieged northern Gaza is a place of dead bodies lying in the streets and hospitals running out of blood packs – a situation that’s “nothing short of catastrophic”, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence & Ajith Sunghay, Head of UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, on Gaza
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
Sudan’s displaced have endured “unimaginable suffering” in their search for shelter from the country’s ongoing war, UN humanitarians warned on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘Exceptional achievement’: Humanitarians reach over 105,000 with polio vaccine in north Gaza
Despite ongoing attacks and access challenges, humanitarians have managed to inoculate over 105,000 children in north Gaza with the second and final dose of the oral polio vaccine, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.