Press Releases

(21 April 1999) Campaign to End ID Card Confiscation in Jerusalem Itinerary for Events, April 21-22, 1999

21 April 1999 
BADIL Resource Center 


 

PRESS & PUBLIC ARE INVITED! 

The international delegation of jurists that will observe the Israeli High Court session ID card confiscation on scheduled for 22 April has arrived. The purpose of the international observation group is to professionally embarrass the Israeli Supreme Court, raise international awareness to Israel's policy of bureaucratic ethnic cleansing, and to collect data for the meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention who are scheduled to meet in Geneva in June/July to discuss the enforcement of the Convention in the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories. 

The international observer delegation is composed of:  

  • Eric Nilsson, Sweden: expert on constitutional  matters, Chief Justice of a Court of Appeal, Ministry of Justice, Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman;
  • Sten de Geer, Sweden: advocate; International Commission of Jurists;
  • Per Stadig, Sweden: International Commission of Jurists;
  • Rajindar Sachar, India: Chief Justice;
  • Anneke Lindren, Sweden: International Commission of Jurists;
  • Catherine Deman: International Committee Red Cross - Tel Aviv;
  • Amin Madani: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights;

Wednesday, April 21: 
11 a.m. Briefing of the delegation at the Meridian Hotel/Jerusalem with Advocates Eliahu Abrams, Lea Tsemel, and representatives of the NGO Campaign; 
12 a.m. Lunch; 
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Tour of Jerusalem and Sumoud Camp (ATG Tours); 
5 p.m.  Meeting at the Orient House with Faisal Husseini, PLC members and representatives of the foreign missions in Jerusalem; 
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.: Round table meeting with delegates, consulates, PLC members, and human rights organizations at the YMCA/East Jerusalem; 
8 p.m.  Dinner at the YMCA/East Jerusalem; 

Thurday, April 22: 
7 a.m.  Meeting at Sumoud Camp (beside American Colony) for transportation of Palestinian families victim to ID card confiscation and members of the Campaign to the Israeli High Court. 
8 a.m. - 10/12 a.m.: Hearing at the Supreme Court. Small vigil with signs will be held directly outside the Court by Palestinian families; 
10/12 a. m.: End of hearing. Observer delegation will meet with press in the hall of the Israeli Supreme Court. 
12/1 p.m. Lunch at Christmas Hotel. 

After lunch, delegation and Campaign members will be available for detailed press interviews (Israeli officials, e.g. Mayor Ehud Olmert, Minister of Internal Security Victor Kahalani, have so far not responded to the request for appointments with the observer delegation). 

For more information contact: 
JCW: tel. 02-244-7068, fax. 02-244-7069 
BADIL Resource Center: tel/fax: 02-2747346 
LAW: tel. 02-583-3430/530; fax. 02-583-3317; 
B'tselem: tel. 02-561-7271; fax. 02-561-0756; 

 


The Campaign to End ID Card Confiscation is initiated by members of the Lobby for Human Rights in Jerusalem: (Addameer, BADIL Resource Center, Citizens' Rights Center/Arab Thought Forum, Freedom's Defense Center, Jerusalem Center for Women,  Palestine Human Rights Information Center, Women's Affairs Technical Committee, Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling), and: al Haq, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Council of Palestinian Human Rights Organizations, Jerusalem Center for Economic and Social  Rights, Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid, LAW, Palestine Housing Rights Movement, PNGO-Palestinian NGO Network. In joint effort with: ADAM-Students for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, Bat Shalom, B'tselem, Israeli Committee Against House Demolition, Hamoked, Physicians for Human Rights, Rabbis for for Human Rights.