A/HRC/57/60 134. In May 2023, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel (the Commission), reported that it was not aware of any credible evidence to support the terrorist designations. 133 The Commission reported having received information suggesting that, six months prior to the designations, the Israeli Ministry of Intelligence had advised the Government to incriminate individuals and organizations receiving foreign funding, tarnish their reputation and expose their connections to “terrorist” elements. 134 The Commission noted that the Israeli authorities’ use of anti-terror legislation to categorize civil society organizations as terrorist organizations aimed to delegitimize and isolate them, undermine their activity, and harm their international funding and support.135 It then concluded, on the basis of reasonable grounds, that the designations were unjustified, undertaken to silence civil society voices, and violate human rights.136 135. During the reporting period, the Commission and OHCHR addressed the significant impacts that the designations had had on the programmes, activities and work of the concerned organizations, including as a result of the withdrawal of funding and the imposition of travel bans.137 OHCHR also reported that, as a result of the designations, the organizations operated under constant threat of closure, and their staff and legal representatives operating with a continuing threat of arrest. 138 136. According to information received by OHCHR, Mr. Ubai Al-Aboudi, the director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, continued to be subjected to a travel ban during the reporting period.139 Reportedly, Mr. Al-Aboudi’s travel ban was due to end at the end of April 2023, and since then, his lawyer had sent multiple requests to the Israeli authorities inquiring about the status of the travel ban, without reply. On 30 August 2023, when Mr. Al-Aboudi attempted to cross from the West Bank to Jordan, Israeli border guards reportedly prevented him from crossing, informing him orally that he had been subjected to a travel ban, and handed him an order to present himself for an interview with the Israeli Security Agency on 3 September 2023. Mr. Al-Aboudi presented himself as requested and, after waiting for over an hour with no seating or shade, he was told to leave. To date, Israeli authorities have reportedly provided no written communication to Mr. Al-Aboudi regarding the status of the ban, or the basis upon which it had been issued. At the time of writing, the travel ban continued to prevent him from traveling to and participating in-person in international human rights events, including United Nations events. 137. The case of Mr. Issa Amro, founder of Youth Against Settlements in Hebron, was included in the 2014, 2021, 2022 and 2023 reports of the Secretary-General140 on allegations of reprisals for his engagement with the Human Rights Council in 2013 (ISR 7/2013). Following almost five years of judicial proceedings, in March 2021, Mr. Amro received a three-month suspended sentence with a two-year probation period and a fine in relation to his human rights work, which he appealed. 138. According to information received by OHCHR, on 25 June 2023, following seven years of judicial proceedings, Mr. Amro was acquitted in relation to two of his six convictions, namely one count of obstructing a soldier and one count of participating in an unauthorized march. 141 Reportedly, on 7 October 2023, Mr. Amro was prevented from accessing his house and the offices of Youth Against Settlements in Hebron H2 by an Israeli settler dressed in an army uniform along with two Israeli soldiers. Reportedly, Mr. Amro was subsequently arrested and detained for a day in a caravan located at a military post in the nearby settlement of Ramat Yashai, where he was subjected to alleged ill-treatment and 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 GE.24-14259 A/HRC/53/22 para. 14, A/HRC/53/CRP/1 para. 59. A/HRC/53/22 para. 15 A/HRC/53/CRP/1 para. 66 and footnote 111. A/HRC/53/22 para. 70. Ibid. A/HRC/53/22 para. 16 and 17, A/HRC/53/CRP/1 paras. 60 and 61, A/78/502 para. 52. A/HRC/52/28, para. 70. A/HRC/54/61, Annex II, para. 94. A/HRC/27/38, para. 25; A/HRC/48/28 Annex II para. 75, A/HRC/54/61, Annex II, paras. 95–97. A/HRC/55/72 para. 45. 59