UN high commissioner for human rights urges Israel to repeal death penalty law for Palestinian prisoners

The United Nations has called on Israel to repeal a law passed by the Knesset on Monday that would reinstate the death penalty, almost exclusively to Palestinian prisoners.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk described the law as discriminatory in a press statement, saying it violates Israel's obligations under international law.

“It is deeply disappointing that this bill has been approved by the Knesset”, he said, highlighting that it is patently inconsistent with Israel’s international law obligations, including in relation to the right to life, Turk said.

He added that “it raises serious concerns about due process violations, is deeply discriminatory, and must be promptly repealed."

Given the UN's opposition to the death penalty, the High Commissioner noted the difficulty of reconciling this punishment with human dignity, and that the penalty increases the unacceptable risk of innocent people being executed.

The Israeli Knesset approved the bill on Monday, which aims to impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, a move that has been met with widespread international condemnation.