US sanctions Palestinian rights groups for supporting ICC Israel probe

"The United States has added three prominent Palestinian rights groups, Al-Haq, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights to its sanctions list. The groups were added to the Department of the Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List on Thursday. In a subsequent statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the rights groups were targeted for having directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel's consent."

"We condemn in the strongest terms the draconian sanctions imposed by The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on our organisations: @alhaq_org , @AlMezanCenter & @pchrgaza/1 The Ramallah-based Al-Haq has been a leading organisation both in the occupied Palestinian territory and internationally seeking accountability for Israeli abuses, while leading litigation in several countries. The Gaza City-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights have been leading independent organisation that have documented Israel's ongoing war in Gaza."

The United States added Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights to the Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. The State Department said the groups were targeted for directly engaging with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals without Israel's consent. The Trump administration had earlier sanctioned the ICC after arrest warrants were issued for Israeli leaders. All three organisations supplied evidence of alleged Israeli abuses. The organisations condemned the sanctions; Al-Haq, PCHR and Al-Mezan have documented and litigated alleged abuses in Gaza and beyond.

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