Geneva, March 31 (SANA) – U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Tuesday that Israel’s approval of a law allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners constitutes a war crime.
In a statement cited by Agence France-Presse, Türk said implementing the discriminatory measure would represent a serious additional violation of international law and, if applied to residents of the occupied Palestinian territories, would amount to a war crime.
He said the law approved by the Israeli Knesset on Monday clearly contradicts Israel’s obligations under international law, particularly regarding the right to life, and raises serious concerns about the protection of due process and defense rights.
Türk stressed that the legislation involves severe discrimination and must be repealed without delay.
The U.N. rights chief also reiterated that the death penalty is fundamentally incompatible with human dignity and carries an unacceptable risk of executing innocent people.
The Israeli parliament approved the law Monday, allowing courts to impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners, a move that has drawn condemnation from Arab and international actors.
Kh.A
