Omar Shakir

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2018-068-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2018
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 31.046051

Longitude: 34.851612

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Israel
From Region
Type of record
Named individual
Gender
Male
Was the victim a foreign national?
Yes
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity

Director of Human Rights Watch; Among the allegations cited are statements by Mr. Shakir supporting the creation of a database of businesses that operate in Israeli settlements, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 31/36.

Type of rights defended
  • Caste/Ethnic minorities' rights/Racism
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

supporting the creation of a database of businesses that operate in Israeli settlements, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 31/36;
more general advocacy at the United Nations Human Rights Council

Engagement with UN body
  • UN Human Rights Council: UN Human Rights Council - General
Dates of engagement
unclear
Type of attempted engagement
  • Unclear
Dates of mentioned reprisals
May 2018; June 2018
Reprisal information

In May 2018, the Minister of the Interior in Israel did not renew the work permit of the Director of Human Rights Watch, Mr. Omar Shakir, and ordered his deportation. Mr Shakir remains in the country, as the order is under review by a district court. According to information received, the revocation was based on a dossier compiled by the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy alleging that Mr. Shakir supports a boycott of Israel. Among the allegations cited are statements by Mr. Shakir supporting the creation of a database of businesses that operate in Israeli settlements, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 31/36. The Government highlighted this allegation in its 77-page response to a lawsuit filed by Mr. Shakir and Human Rights Watch challenging the deportation decision. An amicus brief filed by the group NGO Monitor and accepted by the court also points to social media posts highlighting Human Rights Watch’s support for the database and their more general advocacy at the United Nations Human Rights Council. The allegations were discussed at a first court hearing in June 2018.

Types of reprisals suffered
  • Expulsion/Denied visa (foreigners)
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
No
Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
No
How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
2
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
2019
Follow up information provided in SG report 0

The case of Mr. Omar Shakir, Director of Human Rights Watch, was included in the 2018 report of the Secretary-General (see A/HRC/39/41, para. 53 and Annex I, para. 68). In April 2019, three special procedures mandate holders expressed grave concern at the revocation of the work visa for Mr. Shakir, urging “Israel to reverse the order, to allow Mr. Shakir and Human Rights Watch to continue unimpeded with human rights advocacy, and to fully respect its human rights obligations in its relationships with Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organizations.” 141 It was reported to OHCHR that in June 2019 the Israeli Supreme Court issued an interim injunction (administration petition 367759-05- 18) suspending the deportation order for the duration of legal proceedings, and a hearing would be held 25 July 2019.

Followup Trends 0
Significant positive and negative developments
Did the government respond? 0
No
Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0
  • UN Special Procedures: Thematic
  • Unclear
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
2020
Follow up information provided in SG report 1

The case of Mr. Omar Shakir, of Human Rights Watch, was included in the 2019 and 2018 reports of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/42/30, para. 62 and Annex II, para. 65; A/HRC/39/41, para. 53 and Annex I, para. 68). On 8 November 2019, special procedures mandate holders criticized a decision by the Israeli Supreme Court upholding the Government’s decision to revoke the work visa of Mr. Shakir. 52 The order was based, inter alia, on allegations that Mr. Shakir would support a boycott of Israel, including alleged statements by Mr. Shakir in support of a database produced by the UN 53 on businesses that operate in Israeli settlements. 54 80. On 5 November 2019, following appeals, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled to deport Mr. Shakir from the occupied Palestinian territory. A January 2020 report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that “the Court stated that Mr. Shakir’s past activism with the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and his work with Human Rights Watch constituted calls for boycotts against Israel, all of which were aimed at Israeli settlements” (A/HRC/43/70, para. 66). It further noted that “the Court held that the meaning of “a public call for boycott against Israel” under the Entry into Israel (Amendment No. 28) Law that would allow for entry to be denied “includes boycott that is based on the identification of the Israeli control in the [occupied Palestinian] territories as a violation of international law” (para. 66).

Followup Trends 1
Deterioration/further reprisals
Date of follow up 1
8 November 2019; January 2020
Did the government respond? 1
No
Was this case followed up by a UN body? 1
  • UN Special Procedures: Thematic
  • UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
  • Unclear