A/HRC/54/61 16. Israel 89. The cases of six Palestinian human rights and humanitarian organizations, namely the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Adameer), Al Haq, the Bisan Center for Research and Development (Bisan), Defense for Children International – Palestine, (DCI-P) the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UPWC) and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC) were included in the 2022 report of the Secretary General on allegations that their designations as “terror[ist] organizations” under the Counter-Terrorism Law 5776 of 2016 were related to their cooperation with the United Nations and their human rights and humanitarian work. 114 UN actors condemned the designations115 and noted the critical work of these long-standing key partners of the United Nations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. 116 90. According to information received by OHCHR, on 17 August 2022, the Israeli Military Commander for the West Bank rejected the procedural objection that five of these organisations – Addameer, Al-Haq, Bisan, DCI-P, and UPWC- had filed in February 2022 against the November 2021 decision of the Israeli Military Commander of the West Bank declaring them “unlawful”. The procedural objection was filed on the basis that the designations lacked evidence and had not followed due process. 91. On 18 August 2022, Israeli military forces broke into, searched and sealed the offices of the six human rights and humanitarian organizations. Between 18 August and 15 September 2022, the directors of four of the organizations designated as “terror organizations” (DCI-P, Al Haq, UPWC and UAWC) were summoned by the Israeli Security Agency for interrogation. They were reportedly threatened by Israeli Security Agency with further consequences, including arrest, if they did not stop working for the organizations. Two directors also reported acts of intimidation directed at their children by the Israeli Security Agency (A/HRC/52/75, para. 29). 92. According to information received by OHCHR, as of 30 April 2023 no formal charges had been filed against the directors of the organizations. 93. Reportedly, since the designation as “terror organizations”, at least 15 staff and volunteers of the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committee were summoned for interrogations by Israeli intelligence services or received phone calls, threatening them for their continued involvement with UPWC and some were threatened with “consequences” against them and their children (A/HRC/52/75, para. 34). 117 During the reporting period, UPWC executive director, Ms. Tahreer Jaber, was unable to participate in person in the public hearing organized in Geneva before the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the OPT, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, due to a travel ban applied to her by the Israeli authorities a month prior to the hearing. 118 94. On 1 June 2022, Mr. Ubai Al-Aboudi, the director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, was prevented from traveling to Amman, Jordan, to attend a two-day expert meeting with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Reportedly, Israeli authorities had imposed a travel ban against Mr. Al-Aboudi since 10 April 2022. In November 2022, due to the reported travel ban, Mr. Al-Aboudi was unable to participate in person in a public hearing organized in Geneva before the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and in Israel.119 95. The case of Mr. Issa Amro, founder of Youth Against Settlements in Hebron was included in the 2014, 2021 and 2022 reports of the Secretary-General120 on allegations of 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 62 A/HRC/51/47, Annex I, paras. 35–39. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/10/un-experts-condemn-israels-designationpalestinian-human-rights-defenders. A/HRC/49/25 para. 36. https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1p/k1pn7mkrqz. https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1p/k1pn7mkrqz. https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1p/k1pn7mkrqz. A/HRC/27/38, para. 25; A/HRC/48/28 Annex II para. 75. GE.23-15378