Testimony by Michael Sfard (Day 3) Public Hearings…

The public hearings will focus on the closure orders and terrorism designation of a number of Palestinian human rights organizations, and on the incident surrounding the killing of the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Victims, witnesses, civil society organizations, and legal representatives will be invited to provide relevant testimony to the Commission in this forum.

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, and all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.

These hearings will form part of the Commission's ongoing investigative work, including for upcoming reports. A separate call for submissions on a number of topics will be launched on the Commission's website.